Anti-Drug Abuse Amendment Act

The Anti-Drug Abuse Amendment Act, signed by President Ronald Reagan on November 18, 1988, revised the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 by closing real or perceived loopholes of that law. Major provisions included the creation of a new executive-level agency, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, whose director, appointed by the president, would lead a uniform national strategy to reduce drug use and availability, and would have unprecedented budgetary certification authority over other department and agency heads. The act also called for a “user accountability” program that established drug-free public housing, drug-free workplaces, and other similar measures. Another major provision in the act is the enactment of “conspiracy” laws in order to prosecute those with indirect involvement in a drug transaction. The act established civil penalties for “personal use” amounts of drugs. It also contained in it provisions against child pornography and warning labeling on alcoholic beverages.

Introduced by Speaker of the House Thomas A. Foley (D-WA) shortly before the 1988 presidential election, the Anti-Drug Abuse Amendment Act capitalized on the country's appetite for drug control. Drug policy remained the top political issue of importance, and Democrats and Republicans alike sought to ride the public sentiment to election day. The bill was a result of a compromise struck between the two parties, and in the signing ceremony, President Reagan, though elated over its passage, expressed disappointment over the easing of random drug testing and of dropped language in the final text that would have allowed constitutionally questionable evidence to be used in federal drug cases.