Peter Bourne's drug policy and the perils of a public health ethic, 1976-1978

Claire D. Clark, Emily Dufton

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)283-292
Number of pages10
JournalAmerican Journal of Public Health
Volume105
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1 2015

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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