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Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988

The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 (Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 100–690, 102 Stat. 4181, enacted November 18, 1988, H.R. 5210) is a major law of the War on Drugs passed by the U.S. Congress which did several significant things:

Other short titles

  • Alcoholic Beverage Labeling Act of 1988
  • Anti-Drug Abuse Amendments Act of 1988
  • Asset Forfeiture Amendments Act of 1988
  • Bureau of Land Management Drug Enforcement Supplemental Authority Acct
  • Chemical Diversion and Trafficking Act of 1988
  • Child Protection and Obscenity Enforcement Act of 1988
  • Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Amendments Act of 1988
  • Drug-Free Public Housing Act of 1988
  • Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988
  • Drunk Driving Prevention Act of 1988
  • Federal Aviation Administration Drug Enforcement Assistance Act of 1988
  • Insular Areas Drug Abuse Amendments of 1988
  • International Narcotics Control Act of 1988
  • Justice Department Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Enhancement Act of 1988
  • Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Amendments of 1988
  • Minor and Technical Criminal Law Amendments Act of 1988
  • Money Laundering Prosecution Improvements Act of 1988
  • National Commission on Measured Responses to Achieve a Drug-Free America by 1995 Authorization Act
  • National Narcotics Leadership Act of 1988
  • Native Hawaiian Health Care Act of 1988
  • Public Housing Drug Elimination Act of 1988
  • Truck and Bus Safety and Regulatory Reform Act of 1988
  • Uniform Federal Crime Reporting Act of 1988
  • Urgent Supplemental Appropriations Act of 1989

An Act to prevent the manufacturing, distribution, and use of illegal drugs, and for other purposes.

ADAA, ADTSA

Alcohol and Drug Traffic Safety Act of 1988

November 18, 1988

21 U.S.C. ch. 20, subch. I § 1501 et seq.

The change from the Act of 1986 to the Act of 1988 concerns the mandatory minimum penalties to drug trafficking conspiracies and attempts that previously were applicable only to substantive completed drug trafficking offenses. The Act amended 21 U.S.C. 844 to make crack cocaine the only drug with a mandatory minimum penalty for a first offense of simple possession. The Act made possession of more than five grams of a mixture or substance containing cocaine base punishable by at least five years in prison. The five year minimum penalty also applies to possession of more than three grams of cocaine base if the defendant has a prior conviction for crack cocaine possession, and to possession of more than one gram of crack if the defendant has two or more prior crack possession convictions.[3]


The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 also offers several other amendments to the Act of 1986. First, the organization and coordination of Federal drug control efforts. Next, the reduction of drug demand through increased treatment and prevention efforts. Also, the reduction of illicit drug trafficking and production abroad. Lastly, sanctions designed to place added pressure on the drug user. The ADAA projected budget for the total federal drug control budget (if fully funded) was $6.5 billion for the 1989 fiscal year”.[4] The result of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 was not foreseen. “After spending billions of dollars on law enforcement, doubling the number of arrests and incarcerations, and building prisons at a record pace, the system has failed to decrease the level of drug-related crime. Placing people in jail at increasing rates has had little long-term effect on the levels of crime”.[5]


The Act also re-established the federal death penalty.[6][7]


The H.R. 5210 legislation was passed by the 100th U.S. Congressional session, and signed into law by president Ronald Reagan on November 18, 1988.[8]


The media campaign mentioned in the act later became the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign.

Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986

Chemical Diversion and Trafficking Act

Domestic policy of the Ronald Reagan administration

Federal drug policy of the United States

(PDF/details) as amended in the Statute Compilations collection

Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988