Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Americans are more optimistic about how the country is dealing with the problem of illegal drugs than in the past, according to Gallup poll data released Wednesday.
After hitting record-low 24% in 2023, the amount of Americans who believe the country has made progress in dealing with the problem of illegal drugs has jumped to 45%, the highest Gallup has recorded since 2000. The amount who say the United States has fallen behind has dropped from a record-high 52% to a record-low 23%, Gallup said.
The Gallup annual crime poll was conducted Oct. 1-16. It found that 10% of Americans believe the country has made "much" progress in coping with the problem of illegal drugs, the highest in the trend by 4 percentage points.
The numbers also vary greatly between political parties. There has been a surge in optimism among Republicans as President Donald Trump ramps up attacks on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, Gallup said. He has also called drug cartels "terrorists" and increased tariffs on countries that he has accused of not doing their parts to stop smuggling.
Now, 74% of Republicans say much or some progress has been made, which is up 62 points from 2023. It's a new high for the GOP. Among independents, optimism is up 13%, and optimism among Democrats is down by 7%, Gallup said.
