What will I learn about: The War on Drugs was initially launched in the early twentieth century not to protect public health, but as a political tool to suppress and control racial minorities?

The War on Drugs was initially launched in the early twentieth century not to protect public health, but as a political tool to suppress and control racial minorities.

What will I learn about: Criminalizing narcotics effectively created the modern illicit drug industry, drastically inflating prices and forcing addicts into petty crime to fund their habits?

Criminalizing narcotics effectively created the modern illicit drug industry, drastically inflating prices and forcing addicts into petty crime to fund their habits.

What will I learn about: Cracking down on drug networks actually increases violence by creating lucrative power vacuums that rival gangs fight brutally to control?

Cracking down on drug networks actually increases violence by creating lucrative power vacuums that rival gangs fight brutally to control.

What will I learn about: Drug addiction is driven less by the chemical hooks of a substance and more by a lack of human connection, childhood trauma, and societal isolation?

Drug addiction is driven less by the chemical hooks of a substance and more by a lack of human connection, childhood trauma, and societal isolation.

What will I learn about: Decriminalizing and legalizing drugs has been proven to lower addiction rates, weaken violent criminal organizations, and generate billions in tax revenue?

Decriminalizing and legalizing drugs has been proven to lower addiction rates, weaken violent criminal organizations, and generate billions in tax revenue.

Chasing the Scream

The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs

Johann Hari

★ 4.6 / 5(42 ratings)

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Society & Culture

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡How did the original architect of the War on Drugs use race to justify his crusade, and why were famous addicts like Billie Holiday and Judy Garland treated so radically differently by early law enforcement?
💡Why does arresting top drug dealers often lead to an immediate surge in violent crime and sadism within a community, rather than making the streets safer?
💡If drugs are inherently addictive, why don't hospital patients prescribed powerful opiates become addicted, and what does this reveal about the true root causes of addiction?

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Key Takeaways from Chasing the Scream

✓The War on Drugs was initially launched in the early twentieth century not to protect public health, but as a political tool to suppress and control racial minorities.
✓Criminalizing narcotics effectively created the modern illicit drug industry, drastically inflating prices and forcing addicts into petty crime to fund their habits.
✓Cracking down on drug networks actually increases violence by creating lucrative power vacuums that rival gangs fight brutally to control.
✓Drug addiction is driven less by the chemical hooks of a substance and more by a lack of human connection, childhood trauma, and societal isolation.
✓Decriminalizing and legalizing drugs has been proven to lower addiction rates, weaken violent criminal organizations, and generate billions in tax revenue.

Learning Tools

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Mind Map

Chasing the Scream

Origins & Motives+

Consequences of the War+

The True Nature of Addiction+

Proven Solutions+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 6

According to the text, what was the primary, underlying motivation for the United States launching the War on Drugs in 1914?

A. To protect vulnerable individuals from the physical harms of addiction.
B. To suppress racial minorities and provide a scapegoat for the anxieties of a rapidly changing society.
C. To combat international communist smuggling rings that were trying to weaken America.
D. To reduce the high rates of violent crime that were occurring in major cities.

Question 2 of 6

How did Harry Anslinger's treatment of famous heroin addicts Billie Holiday and Judy Garland illustrate the true nature of the early War on Drugs?

A. Both women were publicly arrested to serve as high-profile examples of the dangers of heroin.
B. Anslinger provided both women with safe, legal access to heroin to hide their addiction from the press.
C. Garland was prosecuted harshly to show that wealthy white women were not above the law.
D. Holiday, a black woman, was constantly harassed by agents, while Garland, a white woman, received Anslinger's protection and help.

Question 3 of 6

What is the actual result of arresting high-level drug dealers in a specific neighborhood, according to the book?

A. A permanent decrease in local drug availability and addiction rates.
B. An increase in violent crime as rival gangs and new dealers fight to fill the power vacuum.
C. A temporary spike in drug prices followed by a complete collapse of the local drug market.
D. A shift in consumer behavior toward seeking legal alternatives like alcohol and tobacco.

Question 4 of 6

What does the text argue is the primary driver of drug addiction?

A. The inherent chemical addictiveness of illicit substances that hook anyone who uses them.
B. The widespread availability and low cost of drugs on the modern black market.
C. The combination of a potentially addictive substance and an individual's susceptibility, often due to trauma or isolation.
D. A genetic predisposition that is passed down through families regardless of their environment.

Question 5 of 6

What was the outcome of Portugal's 2001 decision to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs?

A. A significant increase in drug tourism from neighboring countries like Spain and Italy.
B. A sharp rise in the number of new drug users among teenagers.
C. The complete eradication of drug cartels operating within its borders.
D. A decline in overall drug use and a drop in severely harmful practices like drug injection.

Question 6 of 6

Why does the author argue that outright legalization of drugs would be more effective at keeping them away from teenagers than criminalization?

A. Legalization would make drugs so heavily taxed and expensive that teenagers could no longer afford them.
B. Regulated stores have a legal and financial incentive to check IDs, whereas illegal street dealers do not.
C. Teenagers are only attracted to drugs because they are illegal, so legalization removes the rebellious appeal.
D. Legalization would require teenagers to get a prescription from a doctor, making access impossible.