Part 4A-- Social aspects of drug use 

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History of Drugs    History of drug laws and restrictions

Section 4a-2: Societal issues: Legalization, criminalization

    Many of the differences seen between cultures/countries in use of drugs is a matter of accident-- What grows there?  This has become less of an issue with growing international trade, but history still plays a role in what drugs will be abused and in the forms of abuse and social acceptance.  Often, the drugs that are traditionally associated with a culture are entwined with religious structure, and, therefore, permeate social control.  Newly introduced drugs, then, don't have weight of societal "norms" to shape use/expectations/knowledge.  Likelihood of abuse and problems are much greater in a drug newly introduced to a culture than for one which carries history.

HISTORY:

     Initially, all substances used for mind or mood altering purposes were taken in their natural forms-- chewing coca leaves, eating opium, drinking juices from fermented fruit, etc.  The first example of any manipulation was the distillation process developed in Arabia around 800 a.d. (in Europe, later). Otherwise, different techniques for drug use (elixirs in alcohol; smoking) were the only manipulations seen until chemistry had developed to the point where substance isolation was possible (morphine from opium in 1803)  Note, also, the role of the invention of the hypodermic needle in 1856.
     From there, chemistry has had a marked effect on the development and availability of drugs -- with the first completely synthetic mind-altering drug being the barbiturates in 1903.

     The extent that drugs fit prominently in societal development, trade, etc., was discussed in class.  In sum, drugs have an important ECONOMIC role:
     The trends of initial acceptance, and subsequent dislike, attempts at eradication or illegalization, and the back-and-forth acceptance/hatred that certain drugs like alcohol and cocaine have taken have also been fueled by economics and further by more or less explicit social class/prejudicial fears.  These then translate into political decisions.

More specifically on economics:

Economic factors have had profound effects on distribution and availability of drugs.   Economics has also served to create blind spots to other countries' concerns, leading those with the economic power to continue contributing to the poisoning of others' populations.  A particularly gross example of this is the opium exports to China by Britain, France, Portugal, Holland, and the United States in the 1800's.  (See  Opium Wars material in the textbook related to this (pp. 201-203)).

     These economic decisions continue.  The contrast and similarity of issues between current U.S. policies regarding the importation of cocaine from Central and South American countries and current U.S. policies regarding tobacco exports were discussed in class.

(See the Outline of Drugs History for more details and examples).

     The other major social issues (NOT unrelated to economics) raised in class were related to the legal control of drugs.  The history of legal control of drugs in this country is fascinating.  In relatively short time, we have moved from no regulation of medicines and mind-altering substances to a very elaborate set of controls.  I don't just refer to "pleasure" drugs in relation to this, either. Consider the regulation of medicines-- people now protest the lengthy approval process for therapeutic drugs without taking into account the dangers encountered PRIOR to this control.   

(See  History of legal control in U.S.  for excerpts from the historical timeline that focus on the developing legal control of drugs (including medicines) in the U.S.  Be aware of the major shifts and relative dates (that is, ORDER of events and approximate times of major policy changes).  Note also the shift from STATE control with the FEDERAL role being restricted to taxation, to the current FEDERAL control with only STATE differences in implementation.)

Here's a matching exercise related to drug laws:

Click here for matching exercise.

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History of Drugs    History of drug laws and restrictions