Nancy Reagan

Not Just the President’s Wife: How First Ladies Broke the Barrier In Their Role for Advocacy

Nancy Reagan

(History.com Editors Just Say No)

During Ronald Reagan’s presidency in the early 1980s to early 1990s, the United States had an epidemic due to the increased use of crack cocaine. It became a widespread issue because of its low price, euphoric effects, and profitability. As a response to the chaos in her country, First Lady Reagan addressed the crack issue with a campaign. Her slogan began to be known as "Just Say No to Drugs". She believed it was a simple, yet very important statement. She traveled around the country to inspire and teach the youth about drug and alcohol abuse. She traveled almost 250,000 miles and did numerous radio and TV shows. In 1985 Nancy Reagan even hosted a conference on drug abuse in the White House.

"Crack cocaine is the crystal form of cocaine, which normally comes in a powder form. It comes in solid blocks or crystals varying in color from yellow to pale rose or white...[Crack] the most potent form in which cocaine appears, is also the riskiest. It is between 75% and 100% pure, far stronger and more potent than regular cocaine."

(Foundation for a Drug-Free World What is Crack Cocaine? How to Smoke Crack? Street Names for Crack - Drug-Free World)


"We reviewed the changes in the past-year cocaine use between 1985 and 1990 that were reported in the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. The results show that the number of cocaine useers declined by nearly 50 percent between 1985 and 1990 (from 12.2 to 6.2 million). In addition, the proportiom defined as current users (those who used the drug within the month before the interview) declined from 47.1 percent to 25.8 percent."

~Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control

(Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control Drug Abuse: The Crack Cocaine Epidemic--Health Consequences and Treatment)

Over Reagan's countless travels, she listened to many people as they told their stories. She listened and learned as people cried out for help. Reagan often met with, and received letters from troubled people. One hopeful sign of improvement is when she saw that people gained a new awareness of how terrible drugs were and their harmful effects. One of her main goals in starting the campaign was to have people understand what drug abuse was doing to the society, showing Nancy Reagan’s dedication to her cause. ​​​​​​​

(Rosenbaum From Nancy Reagan's 'just say no' to just say 'know': Column)

"To my young friends out there: Life can be great, but not when you can't see it. So, open your eyes to life: to see it in the vivid colors that God gave us as a precious gift to His children, to enjoy life to the fullest, and to make it count. Say yes to your life."

~Nancy Reagan

(The Ronald Reagan Foundation Her Causes)

"There's a big, wonderful world out there for you. It belongs to you. It's exciting and stimulating and rewarding. Don't cheat yourselves out of this promise."

~Nancy Reagan

Nancy Reagan constantly found ways to promote her campaign. According to the January 1991 drug report, the usage of crack went down “nearly 50 percent between 1985 and 1990”. Nancy Reagan used her political power as First Lady, and helped over 6 million people stop using crack. She brought up the dangers and consequences of crack, and it clearly worked because the usage went down so much. She followed in Betty Ford’s path to continue to break the barriers in talking about drug usage, and the U.S. greatly benefitted by bringing the much needed attention to the issue.

(Nancy Reagan "Just Say No!" at 1988 World Series)