Photo by: White House

First lady Nancy Reagan introduced the phrase “Just Say No” in answer to a question from a California elementary school student.

High Times: New York City’s War on Drugs

In 1969, President Richard Nixon’s Justice Department took the first steps in what he would later declare the “War on Drugs.” This timeline outlines the policing, politics, and culture of drugs in New York City and elsewhere. Reporting by Jarrett Murphy

Storified by City Limits (New York)