Did the US Government Start Massive Drug Hysteria?
Question by John D: Did the US government start massive drug hysteria?
In 1909 the government stated that drugs that were in OTC drugs were becoming a problem for citizens and proceded to have them banned throughout the next 5 years. Drugs back in this time were never a personal problem because they were not abused. Did the US government start drug addiction by the banning of it?
The FDA was created after the banning to regulate which medications citizens were able to have…They stated the following about cocaine “..It(cocaine) is not a human worthy substance”.
Timeline of events:
the banning of cocaine caused a big uproar and the black community was to blame.
the vietnam war created heroin addicion among soldiers.
The 60’s and 70’s revolutionized cocaine and marijuana.
The 80’s crack was invented
The90’s-now prescription medications are domineting while crack and meth are killing record numbers of people.
I would like your interpritation of drug use in america and why the government thought it was a good idea to make certian drugs illegal.
Best answer:
Answer by William G
The US government runs the biggest drug syndicate in the world, making certain drugs illegal and some overthecounter has benefits. OTC drugs the US government can tax. Banning certain drugs makes them cheaper on the street, thereby making access to them easier, and getting more people hooked. The money made go on to sponser wars, etc.
Answer by Cliff Schaffer
First of all, the first Federal drug law came in 1906 with the Pure Food and Drug Act. Drugs were first outlawed at the Federal level by the Harrison Narcotics Act of 1914.
Contrary to what you have stated, there was abuse and addiction before that time, but it is certainly true that it didn’t cause the problems in society that it does today. There was no major public outcry to have the drugs outlawed, as there was with alcohol.
As far as crack and meth killing record numbers of people, you can find a chart of the number of people killed by drugs at http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/basicfax3.htm In short, alcohol and tobacco kill more people than all the people killed by all the illegal drugs in the last several decades. Crack and meth kill only a few thousand per year – about the same number as Tylenol.
Anyone who wants a real answer to this question should read the following:
The short history of the marijuana laws at http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/whiteb1.htm
The Consumers Union Report on Licit and Illicit Drugs at http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/cu/cumenu.htm This book contains an excellent history of the subject.
You can find extensive examples of the Reefer Madness campaign engineered by the US Government at http://druglibrary.org/mags/reefermadness.htm
You can find another excellent history of the subject at http://druglibrary.org/special/king/dhu/dhumenu.htm
You can find more historical research at http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/history.htm
You can find the full text of most of the major government commission reports on the subject at http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/studies.htm
What do you think? Answer below!