The current study examined public opinion about strategies for addressing the drug crisis in America. Factors explored in the investigation included: moralism, racism, racial attitudes, attribution of blame, beliefs about law enforcement and decisions on severity of sanctions for possession of illicit substances (cocaine). A nationally representative probability sample of 1,004 white adults was surveyed by telephone. Data was analyzed using path analysis.

Key Findings:

• Morality and blame were positively related to one another and to beliefs about law enforcement efficacy and sentencing for cocaine possession.
• There was a direct relationship between moralism about addiction and beliefs that blacks were more likely to use cocaine than whites.
• The above relationships were significant when conservative political ideology was controlled for in the model. A conservative ideology was positively related to aspects of racism, attribution of blame for addiction, and moralism about addiction.
• Although the overall sample reported a preference for less punitive responses to cocaine possession, individuals who attributed blame for addiction to addicts and believed lower levels of morality were related to addiction endorsed more punitive responses to drug possession.
• No direct relationship was found between racism and punitiveness in sentencing. Racial attitudes were indirectly related to punitiveness via moralism and directly related to attributions of blame for addiction.