At least the "war on drugs" is a war on a concrete noun, unlike the "war on terror" which is a war on an abstract noun.

Used to be wars were fought against countries. It was easier to know when the war was over and funding could be diverted back to useful domestic programs. Wars against nouns tend to look like excuses for funneling money in certain directions, while pandering to popular fears or hatreds.

But then as the Foremen said, it's "in" to be in a war.