Definition

1. Noun:
   • Conflict between law enforcement and those who deal in illegal drugs: A sustained effort or campaign by governmental authorities to combat the illegal drug trade, including the production, distribution, and sale of narcotics. It often involves police, military, and judicial actions.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The government allocated billions of dollars to fund the drug war.
  • Critics argue that the drug war has led to mass incarceration without reducing addiction rates.
  • The documentary examined the human cost of the drug war in Latin America.

Advanced Usage

• "to wage a drug war": To actively and aggressively conduct a campaign against illegal drugs.
  • The administration vowed to wage a relentless drug war.
• "the front lines of the drug war": A metaphor for the most active or dangerous areas of conflict in the campaign against drugs.
  • Police officers on the front lines of the drug war face daily dangers.

Variants and Related Words

• War on drugs (n): A common synonymous phrase for a large-scale, government-led campaign against illegal drug use and trade.
  • The "war on drugs" was declared decades ago.
• Drug trafficking (n): The illegal trade or smuggling of drugs. This is a primary target of a drug war.
• Drug enforcement (n): The act of enforcing laws against illegal drugs.

Synonyms

• Anti-narcotics campaign: A concerted effort to stop narcotics.
• Crackdown on drugs: A severe set of measures to restrict illegal drug activity.

Related Phrases

• "to fight the drug war": To participate in or support the campaign against illegal drugs.
  • Several countries are cooperating to fight the drug war.
• "casualty of the drug war": Often refers to individuals, communities, or rights negatively affected by anti-drug policies.
  • Many small farmers became casualties of the drug war.

Notes on Meaning

The term "drug war" specifically refers to the conflict between state authorities and illegal drug networks. It does not refer to conflicts between drug dealers themselves (which might be called "gang wars" or "turf wars"). The concept is inherently about law enforcement and policy.

Noun

1. conflict between law enforcement and those who deal in illegal drugs