In 1984, First Lady Nancy Reagan launched the 'Just Say No' anti-drug campaign as part of her broader effort to combat drug abuse among youth in the United States. The campaign, which used public service announcements and school programs, became a cultural touchstone of the Reagan era, promoting a zero-tolerance approach to drug use and shaping public perception of the drug problem.

The 'Just Say No' campaign was widely satirized and critiqued in literature and popular culture, with poets and writers mocking its simplistic message and ignoring the complex social factors behind addiction. The campaign's legacy is reflected in the works of writers like Joan Didion, who explored the moral panics of the 1980s, and in the hip-hop poetry that rebelled against its authoritarian tone.