Overview
- Forty-five percent say the nation has made progress on illegal drugs, up from 24% in 2023, while 23% say the country has lost ground, a record low.
- Republican optimism surged to 74%, up 62 points since 2023, as independents rose modestly and Democrats declined slightly.
- Gallup’s Oct. 1–16 survey of 1,000 adults carries a ±4 percentage-point margin of error.
- Coverage links the GOP shift to high-profile 2025 enforcement actions under President Donald Trump, including cartel designations, sanctions, and maritime strikes.
- Support for legalizing marijuana slipped to 64% nationally, driven largely by a 13-point drop among Republicans, while Americans still rate the drug problem as far more serious nationally (about 70%) than locally (29%).