War on Drugs Policy - Political Parties and Stances

While the War on Drugs was originally championed by Republican presidents, namely Reagan, Nixon, and H.W. Bush, voters of both parties have recently shifted to be less supportive of harsh drug legislation. 77% of Democratic and 51% of Republican voters believe that the justice system should focus on the rehabilitation of drug users, rather than prosecution. Support for the War on Drugs among party leadership, however, remains split; the Democratic party platform commits to reversing the War on Drugs, while the Republican platform alludes to support for it with its reference to the “progress made over the last three decades against drug abuse”.