ABSTRACT
America has a drug problem. In 1988 some presidential candidates were urging a war on drugs. In 1986 there were 24,847 visits to emergency rooms related to cocaine overdose, a 245% increase over the year 1983. Comparing the same 2 years, the increase in emergency room visits for heroin or morphine was only 23% and marijuana, 8%. Emergency room visits for alcohol dropped by 15% in the same period (U.S. News and World Report, March 21, 1988, p. 73).
