Americans have been experimenting with drugs since the 19th century, it was only in the 20th century that addiction and addiction began to become a problem that the country continues trying to face today. Asian immigrants were associated with opium smoking; crack/cocaine and heroin were associated with blacks; Latinos and Hispanics were associated with marijuana; meth in the 1990s was associated with homosexuals and poor whites. The racial tension against these unwanted groups and wanting them out of society was what sparked a strong push to try to get rid of these drugs. There is no denying that many of the laws that led to the creation of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act were racially motivated. These drug laws have greatly reduced the use of drugs such as crack/cocaine and heroin, but prescription drugs are still an ever-growing problem. Marijuana, acid and heroin were used freely in the 1960s by a generation that embraced the drugs as part of a new cultural movement. Later, in 1969, studies linked drug use with crime. People looked to the government to help the situation. In 1970 the Narcotics Treatment Administration was founded to try to control drug use. That same year, President Richard Nixon established the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act, which he called “the war on drugs.” Title II of this law, the Controlled Substance Act, brought together many laws passed since the Harrison Narcotics tax act of 1914. It placed drugs into categories called schedules based on their potential for abuse. The CSA also established regulations on who and how these drugs would be handled and also introduced harsh penalties for illegal h...... middle of paper ......g and more focused on maintaining physical safety and rigorous registries for many drugs. The DEA now deals primarily with the diversion of drugs from pharmacies, doctors' retailers, and prescription counterfeiters. Government websites such as deadiversion.usdoj.gov have established drug diversion programs. U.S. drug laws are continually changing with advances in technology. The use of technology and online resources has been a great help in monitoring and stopping the illegal use of prescription drugs. Obtaining prescription drugs now requires the use of technology and makes it harder for people to get away with illegal prescription drug handling. With better treatment available to drug addicts and the healthcare industry being proactive in following laws, policies and procedures, prescription drug abuse can be greatly slowed and hopefully minimized one day..