The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 was a law of the War on Drugs passed by the U.S. Congress. Among other things, they changed the system of federal supervised release from a rehabilitative system into a punitive system. The 1986 Act also prohibited controlled substance analogs. The bill enacted new mandatory minimum sentences for drugs, including marijuana.
History
The appearance of crack cocaine, the June 19, 1986 death of Len Bias, the morning after he signed with the NBA champion Boston Celtics, and the June 27, 1986 death of Don Rogers -- both from cocaine use, encouraged U.S. Rep. Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr., the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to mobilize the House Democratic leadership to assemble an omnibus anti-drug bill that became the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. The congressional interest and intense news coverage created a moral panic surrounding cocaine use, which had earlier been viewed in a more benign or even positive way. that made enacting this legislation so important. In September and October of 1986, the House and the Senate competed over which could propose the most severe laws in advance of the pivotal midterm election. A few House Democrats expressed considerable concern about the provisions of the bill. However, most ultimately voted for it, describing election pressures and fear of criticism as swaying their decision. Representative Mike Lowry, who voted against the bill, described the process as "legislation by political panic". Representative Charles Schumer, who voted in favor of the bill, said "the policies are aimed at looking good rather than solving the problem." The House passed the Senate version with a 378–16 majority on October 17, 1986.
Along with the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984, the act substantially increased the number of drug offenses with mandatory minimum sentences. This act mandated a minimum sentence of 5 years without parole for possession of 5 grams of crack cocaine while it mandated the same for possession of 500 grams of powder cocaine. This 100:1 disparity was reduced to 18:1, when crack was increased to 28 grams by the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010.
Spending
The act authorized billions of dollars of spending, although substantially less was actually appropriated. Some of this was used to increase the substance abuse treatment federal block grant program, although treatment providers were disappointed at the reduced appropriations following politicians' earlier promises and authorization. Other programs funded by the act included drug counseling and education programs, AIDS research, and international cooperation to limit drug production. The Act also included the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act, which required colleges to establish drug abuse education and prevention programs.
Impact
The law led to an increase in average time imprisoned for drug crimes from 22 months to 33 months.
