TY - JOUR
T1 - Peter Bourne's drug policy and the perils of a public health ethic, 1976-1978
AU - Clark, Claire D.
AU - Dufton, Emily
PY - 2015/2/1
Y1 - 2015/2/1
N2 - As President Jimmy Carter's advisor for health issues, Peter Bourne promoted a rational and comprehensive drug strategy that combined new supply-side efforts to prevent drug use with previously established demand-side addiction treatment programs. Using a public health ethic that allowed the impact of substances on overall population health to guide drug control, Bourne advocated for marijuana decriminalization as well as increased regulations for barbiturates. A hostile political climate, a series of rumors, and pressure from both drug legalizers and prohibitionists caused Bourne to resign in disgrace in 1978. We argue that Bourne's critics used his own public health framework to challenge him, describe the health critiques that contributed to Bourne's resignation, and present the story of his departure as a cautionary tale for today's drug policy reformers.
AB - As President Jimmy Carter's advisor for health issues, Peter Bourne promoted a rational and comprehensive drug strategy that combined new supply-side efforts to prevent drug use with previously established demand-side addiction treatment programs. Using a public health ethic that allowed the impact of substances on overall population health to guide drug control, Bourne advocated for marijuana decriminalization as well as increased regulations for barbiturates. A hostile political climate, a series of rumors, and pressure from both drug legalizers and prohibitionists caused Bourne to resign in disgrace in 1978. We argue that Bourne's critics used his own public health framework to challenge him, describe the health critiques that contributed to Bourne's resignation, and present the story of his departure as a cautionary tale for today's drug policy reformers.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84921854753&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84921854753&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302233
DO - 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302233
M3 - Article
C2 - 25521893
AN - SCOPUS:84921854753
SN - 0090-0036
VL - 105
SP - 283
EP - 292
JO - American Journal of Public Health
JF - American Journal of Public Health
IS - 2
ER -