A shortened version of the title at Salon would be, to me, more accurate and neutral: "America's First Drug Dealer: Arnold Rothstein" I don't particularly car

A shortened version of the title at Salon would be, to me, more accurate and neutral: "America's First Drug Dealer: Arnold Rothstein" I don't particularly care for Salon's subtitle, though. It paints a picture of the drug war as being started by the drug dealers, as does the headline on HN. It was certainly not: It took the US Congress to outlaw narcotics in the first place, and Anslinger's involvement to scare the public to the point that a war was truly begun. The criminal element that moved into this newly created environment were clearly opportunists who seemingly didn't realize there was a war at all. Truly, it's a tragic story. If addiction has touched your life in any way, this book is a worthwhile read.