The history of legislative control over opium, cocaine, and their derivatives is traced from 1914 to the present. The individual and public harms associated with the criminalization of drug use are identified, including such side effects as increased drug costs and drug-related crime rates, economic costs of enforcement, and corruption of officials. The negative effects of United States international drug eradication and enforcement efforts on Latin American and Asian countries and on foreign policy are discussed, and the need for reform and increased flexibility in drug control efforts is noted. Medical research examines medical uses of illicit drugs, the meaning of addiction, and factors in the development of controlled use. The effect of drug laws on supply and demand in the marketplace also is examined. A critique also is provided of symbolic significance and underlying rationales of the 'war on drugs.' The lack of deterrence effectiveness of current drug policies is discussed, and alternatives are considered. Index and 123-item bibliography.