A discussion of the dimensions of the "true" drug problem in America focuses on the five major recreational drugs currently used and abused in the United States: nicotine as contained in cigarette tobacco, alcohol, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. The discussion considers the changing nature of the perceived drug problem and changes in drug use over time. Profiles for each of the five drugs cover mood altering characteristics, addictive potential, and epidemiology. Other sections of the article address the concept of "gateway" drugs (the use of "soft" drugs that lead to the use of "hard" drugs), dimensions of the drug-associated crime problem, the drug culture, goals for a drug policy, and a proposed national public health program for the reduction and control of recreational drug use. The stated goal of the proposed program is to "reduce and control the use of all the recreational mood-altering drugs to provide for their safe, pleasurable use, consistent with centuries-old human experience, while minimizing their harmful effects on individuals, the family, and society as a whole." 274 footnotes and appended supplementary information