Relying on the social constructionist approach as advanced by Armand L. Mauss (1975), this paper analyzes the construction of a recent U.S. social problem, drug abuse. It is argued that the objective conditions of drug use alone cannot explain why drugs became an issue immediately prior to the 1986 Congressional elections. Explanations for the rise of drug usage as a social problem are to be found primarily in the political realm. Mauss emphasized the similarity between social problems and social movements and defined the five stages of a social problem. This paper examines the extent to which the recently rediscovered drug abuse problem conforms to Mauss' model. Data are based on National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) surveys and the Monitoring the Future project. Data are presented that show the absence of a rise in the overall consumption of illicit drugs during recent years. Public opinion surrounding the issue and the construction of a social problem are traced. The history of this social movement/problem deviated from the Mauss model at two points. It is argued that the Mauss model should be revised for social problems in which governmental agencies and officials are claims-makers. (SM)