 Decades after Richard Nixon launched his antidrug campaign, illicit opiates are cheaper, more potent, and easier to obtain than ever. Is it possible to wipe out addiction by keeping narcotics illegal, or has their ban caused more problems than it’s solved? This program reveals how the war on drugs started and who its real targets were, examining its consequences and unintended victims. Afghan farmers who relied on poppy cultivation to survive now lash out against NATO forces in frustration; in the U.S., communities suffer when parents are jailed for relatively minor infractions; and patients in the developing world are denied access to painkillers because strict regulations make doctors too nervous to prescribe. Produced by the Open University. Part 3 of the series Opium: A Blessing and Curse. (Portions in other languages with English subtitles, 26 minutes)
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