Richard M. Nixon in History of Drugs in America
Richard M. Nixon (1913–1994) was a Republican senator from California and the 37th President of the United States. Prior to his presidency, he also served as Dwight Eisenhower's vice president from 1953 to 1961. Ultimately, his presidency ended in disgrace, with Nixon's 1974 resignation in the midst of the Watergate scandal.
In a 1971 speech, President Nixon coined the phrase, "War on Drugs," promising to defeat "public enemy number one in the United States. [...] If we cannot destroy the drug menace, then it will destroy us."