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Newsbrief:
Latest
Gallup
Poll
Finds
Public
Believes
Drugs
a
Serious
Problem
But
Not
the
Most
Serious
10/24/03
A Gallup Poll released Tuesday
finds that 71% of Americans believe the US has a "serious" or "very serious"
drug problem, a high figure, but one 12 points below the 83% who said so
in 2000. Similarly, only 2% of respondents identified drugs as the
most serious issue facing the nation, down from 5% in 2000. Those
figures are in stark contrast to the late 1980s, when President Bush the
Elder was waving bags of crack around on national television and Gallup
found majorities saying that drugs were the worst problem facing the nation.
Interestingly, the October
6-8 poll found that while a majority believes drugs are a serious national
problem, less than half who said so believe drugs are a serious problem
in their own communities. "It is common," Gallup noted, "for Americans
to perceive conditions in their local communities much more positively
than they view conditions in the United States, more generally."
Nearly a quarter (24%) of
respondents reported that drug abuse had caused problems in their families,
continuing a slight upward trend evident since 1995, when that figure was
19%. By contrast, 31% reported that alcohol consumption had caused
family problems.
As for "progress in coping
with the problem of illegal drugs," however respondents defined it, the
nation appears closely divided. Some 38% said progress was made,
32% said the nation stood still, and 28% felt that the country had lost
ground. This year's figures reflect no substantive change in attitudes
on "progress," with the "made progress" figure roughly the same as reported
in 1972 (35%) or 1995 (38%), although lower than the all-time high of 47%
reported three years ago.
Visit http://www.gallup.com/poll/releases/pr031020.asp
to read the complete findings online.
-- END --
|
Issue #308, 10/24/03
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Newsbrief: Latest Gallup Poll Finds Public Believes Drugs a Serious Problem But Not the Most Serious |
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