Communities of color have experienced disproportionately attacked and injured by this war, according to historians, researchers, and activists. Here are a few instances of prejudice associated with the war on drugs: Chinese immigrants were subject to anti-opium legislation in the late 19th century, as they were linked to both opium consumption and dens. Early 20th-century marijuana prohibition vilified African Americans and Mexican immigrants, portraying them as aggressive and lethargic due to their cannabis use.
In 1971, the Nixon administration declared a war on drugs, using strong law enforcement measures to disrupt the movements of Black activists, hippies, and anti-war protestors by associating drug usage with
these groups. Reagan's administration intensified the war on drugs in the 1980s, boosting financing for organizations that combat drug use, stiffening the punishments for drug-related offenses, and launching a media offensive that demonized drug users as criminals and outcasts. The widespread imprisonment of
persons of color, particularly black men, for drug charges that were not violent because of mandatory minimum terms, three-strikes statutes, and police racial profiling.
Numerous historical occurrences show prejudice against those impacted by the war on drugs. For instance: President Nixon launched the War on Drugs in 1971, focusing on drug possession in African American areas, which resulted in the enormous incarceration of minorities. African American people, who were more prone to use crack, were disproportionately harmed by the 100:1 sentence differential between crack and powder cocaine introduced by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. Because it primarily affected White people and minorities were still criminalized for drug use, the government and medical community chose to overlook the Opioid Crisis.
These are only a few examples of historical occurrences that show how the war on drugs intersects with issues of social class, gender, racism, and disability.
