Statistics from the War on Drugs

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All dollar amounts are unadjusted for inflation.

1914 Year the federal government first outlawed narcotics

1937 Year federal government outlawed marijuana

1966 Year federal government outlawed LSD

1986 Year federal government outlawed Ecstasy (MDMA)

75 Millions of dollars the DEA spent in 1973, the year of its birth

1.5 Billions of dollars the DEA spent in 2000

2,898 Number of people the DEA employed in 1973

9,132 Number of people the DEA employed in 2000

226,304 Number of state and local officers the DEA trained for the drug war from 1991 through 1999

1988 Year the White House Office on National Drug Control Policy was established

6.3 Percentage of U.S. population 12 years and older who reported using "illicit" drugs within the past month in 2000

59 Percentage of past-month drug users who only smoked pot

0.1 Percentage of population ages 12 and over who smoked crack within the past month

0.1 Percentage of population ages 12 and over who used heroin within the past month

9.7 Percentage of population ages 12?17 who used any illegal drug within the past month

19.6 Percentage of population ages 18?20 who used any illegal drug within the past month

7 Percentage of population ages 30?34 who used any illegal drug within the past month

6.5 Percentage of population ages 40?44 who used any illegal drug within the past month

1.5 Percentage of population ages 60?64 who used any illegal drug within the past month

4.2 Percentage of college graduates who used drugs within the past month

18.4 Percentage of 18?22 year old college students who used drugs within the past month

7.7 Percentage of men who used any illegal drug within the past month

5 Percentage of women who used any illegal drug within the past month

6.4 Percentage of white Americans who used drugs within the past month

5.3 Percentage of Hispanic Americans who used drugs within the past month

6.4 Percentage of black Americans who used drugs within the past month

20 Percentage of federal and state prisoners serving time for drug offenses in 1998 who were white

22 Percentage of federal and state prisoners serving time for drug offenses in 1998 who were Hispanic

57 Percentage of federal and state prisoners serving time for drug offenses in 1998 who were black

923,000 Number of heroin addicts in the U.S. in 1988

977,000 Number of heroin addicts in 2000

39 to 77 Range, in billions of dollars, Americans spent annually to purchase cocaine between 1989 and 1998

10 to 22 Range, in billions of dollars, Americans spent annually to purchase heroin between 1989 and 1998

400 Dollars a pure gram of cocaine cost in the U.S. in 1981

170 Dollars a pure gram of cocaine cost in the U.S. in 1998

2,000 Dollars a pure gram of injection-grade heroin cost in 1981

400 Dollars a pure gram of injection-grade heroin cost in 1998

(Sources: DEA, Office of National Drug Control Policy, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1999 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse)