Prob. because the Poppy fields there were why he was obsessed with the middle east & 'wars'. Coincidence that the '80s were when kids getting gunned down on the streets became as common as the cold? Even major sports stars became cokeheads (see Steve Howe, Dwight Gooden, etc.)
"War on drugs" my ass.
No matter how "good" Reagan talked, it's been the UniParty for decades+.