The so-called war on drugs has been going on in the United States since 1880, when opium was prohibited from shipment to America from China. The array of public policies and programs dealing with drugs received an official designation in 1971 when it became the war and drugs. Sadly, the war has mostly turned out to be a skirmish most of the time. Government funding and coordinated actions have been spotty since 1971. The programs continue in the areas of enforcement, treatment and education with mixed results. This new book frames the important issues in the war and drugs.