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# The Numbers Behind the Failed War on Drugs
- URL: https://ivn.us/startling-numbers-for-the-war-on-drugs/
- Published: 2012-09-20T19:15:05.000Z
- Updated: 2026-06-22T19:31:58.000Z
- Author: Shawn Griffiths
- Tags: News

The figures on the government campaign known as the War on Drugs indicate that the prohibition efforts have been a failure. The government has spent over $1 trillion to prevent illegal drug use and distribution, but the statistics show that ten percent of the American population use an illegal substance of some kind and use among minors is up from a decade ago.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/2026/02/Failed_War_On_Drugs.jpg)