Perception and Regulation of Drug Use: The Rise and Fall of the Tide

Editorials15 September 1995Perception and Regulation of Drug Use: The Rise and Fall of the TideDavid F. Musto, MDDavid F. Musto, MDYale University School of Medicine New Haven, CT 06520-7900Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-123-6-199509150-00013 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail The eventful but generally unknown history of America's drug problem provides an essential perspective on current drug policy alternatives. As DuPont and Voth [1] point out in this issue, it is useful to recall that our original antidrug laws—those enacted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries—came about only after decades of easy drug availability. It was unrestricted access to opium, morphine, cocaine, and heroin—and popular revulsion at the results—that led first to city and state laws and finally to the Harrison Narcotic Act of 1914. In the midst of that movement toward domestic regulation, the United States initiated ...References1. DuPont RL, Voth EA. Drug legislation, harm reduction, and drug policy. Ann Intern Med. 1995; 123:461-5. Google Scholar2. Musto D. The American Disease: Origins of Narcotic Control. Expanded ed. New York: Oxford Univ Pr; 1987:24-53. Google Scholar3. Musto D. Cocaine's history, especially the American experience. In: Bock G, Whelan J, eds. Cocaine: Scientific and Social Dimensions (Ciba Foundation Symposium 166), New York: Wiley; 1992:7-14. Google Scholar4. Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970; Volume 1. Washington: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. 1975:58. Google Scholar5. Lender ME, Martin JK. Drinking in America: A History. Revised and expanded edition. New York: Free Press; 1987:206. Google Scholar6. Musto D. F. Opium, cocaine and marijuana in American history. Sci Am. 1991; 265:47. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Yale University School of Medicine New Haven, CT 06520-7900Corresponding Author: David F. Musto, MD, Professor of Child Psychiatry and the History of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, P.O. Box 207900, New Haven, CT 06520-7900. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoDrug Legalization, Harm Reduction, and Drug Policy Robert L. DuPont and Eric A. Voth Metrics Cited bySubstance Use and Substance Use DisordersDrug Use and Its ConsequencesHow ephedrine escaped regulation in the United States: A historical review of misuse and associated policyDRUG POLICY AND KOPolitical Science, Public Policy, and Drug Use PreventionFluctuating drug markets and HIV risk taking: Female drug users and their relationship with drug marketsHarm Reduction and Decriminalization in the United States: A Personal PerspectiveAnti-Drug-Abuse Policies as Prevention Strategies 15 September 1995Volume 123, Issue 6Page: 468-469KeywordsAlcoholsCocaineDrug policyDrug regulationDrug usersDrugsFallsFearLegislationOpium Issue Published: 15 September 1995 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 1995 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...