Bush's efforts focused on decreasing demand in America through
aggressive law enforcement instead of primarily focusing on decreasing
the available supply from foreign countries. As a result, he greatly
increased spending on domestic drug law enforcement, with an emphasis
on getting the states to aggressively punish drug use. Bush's
policies forced states to suspend drivers licenses and revoke
government permits and benefits for those convicted of drug-related
crimes. He also advocated seizing drug-related property from those
accused of drug crimes.
Bush did not ignore interdiction efforts as well, going as far as
invading Panamá to arrest Manuel Noriega once he had been indicted for
drug trafficking. He also held a summit with Colombia, Bolivia, and
Peru to encourage them to decrease cocaine production, offering them
significant financial aid.
The two most significant differences between his policies and those of
Reagan were the greatly increased expenditures on the war on drugs as
a whole and a greater emphasis on decreasing domestic demand through
aggressive law enforcement rather than platitudes like "just say no."
I have located a variety of sources that will aid you in further
understanding President H. W. Bush's drug policies, those of President
Reagan, and how they differed. I particularly recommend the first two
web sites.
Sincerely,
Wonko
"The Successes and Failures of George Bush's War on Drugs" By Dan
Check (1995) http://www.tfy.drugsense.org/tfy/bushwar.htm
"U.S. Drug Policy" Close Up Foundation (February 1997)
http://www.closeup.org/drugs.htm#timeline
"Bush, George Herbert Walker" Encarta (2005)
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761571000_2/George_H_W_Bush.html
"Another Reagan Legacy: Mandatory Minimum Drug Sentences" Talk Left
(June 6, 2004) http://talkleft.com/new_archives/006808.html
"Historical Overview of Drug use in America (and around the world)" by
Robert O. Keel (September 27, 2005)
http://www.umsl.edu/~rkeel/180/drughistory.htm
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