According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, as of 2018, each month, about 46% of inmates jailed in the United Starts are arrested due to drug offenses. In 2016, there were 1.57 million arrests for drug law violations, equating to one drug arrest every 20 seconds. Drug arrests are three times more prevalent than all violent crimes combined, and the numbers aren’t going down.

In regards to cocaine, the drug’s availability increased between 2015 and 2016. Statistics from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health for 2015 estimated 1.9 million persons aged 12 and older were current cocaine users, marking an uptick from previously decreasing numbers in past years. Most cocaine cultivation occurs in Colombia, and with greater production, authorities are expecting to see greater percentages of cocaine use through 2018. The U.S. war on drugs is still making an effort, but the availability and prevalence of cocaine, along with other major drugs, is pushing back, leading to increasing instances of drug-related deaths.