Providing a picture of US involvement with international drug control from its inception to 1997, this book charts the American quest to internationalise the doctrine of drug prohibition, revealing its origins, motivation and methodologies, as well as contradictions and inconsistencies. Bewley-Taylor explores how the US successfully exploited hegemonic superiority in 1945 to influence the philosophy of the multilateral drug control system operated by the UN. He illuminates the dynamics underlying Washington's frequent subordination of international anti-drug measures to security concerns during the Cold War. Bringing the story up to date, he explores the development, perpetuation and consequences of an Americanized mulitlateral drug control system. Examining the contemporary UN drug control framework, he argues that international legislation is largely ineffective, restricts the development of appropriate drug control policies at a national level, and legitimizes Washington's escalating war on drugs in Latin America.