ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explains the fundamental aspects of US drug consumption and the gradual increase in legal restrictions on drugs before 1981. It provides the background for the War on Drugs in Latin America. The book covers most of the time period of the US administrations of Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush, and Bill Clinton. It also covers Latin America’s struggle to deal with rising influence of Drug Trafficking Organizations. The book examines the arguments for the “zero tolerance” and harm reduction approaches. It focuses on the era from 1981 to the present, but it gives background information on the lead up to the war. Drugs are considered a necessary element of the medical field, but many use those medicines for recreational purposes or even become addicted after receiving a physician’s prescription.
