The American Disease: Origins of Narcotic ControlThe American Disease is a classic study of the development of drug laws in the United States. Supporting the theory that Americans' attitudes toward drugs have followed a cyclic pattern of tolerance and restraint, author David F. Musto examines the relationz between public outcry and the creation of prohibitive drug laws from the end of the Civil War up to the present. Originally published in 1973, and then in an expanded edition in 1987, this third edition contains a new chapter and preface that both address the renewed debate on policy and drug legislation from the end of the Reagan administration to the current Clinton administration. Here, Musto thoroughly investigates how our nation has dealt with such issues as the controversies over prevention programs and mandatory minimum sentencing, the catastrophe of the crack epidemic, the fear of a heroin revival, and the continued debate over the legalization of marijuana. |
Contents
| 1 | |
Diplomats and Reformers | 24 |
The Harrison Act | 54 |
The Search for Cures | 69 |
State and Local Narcotic Control | 91 |
The Federal Assault on Addiction Maintenance | 121 |
The Narcotic Clinic Era | 151 |
The Troubled Twenties | 183 |
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Common terms and phrases
2nd Sess agents alcohol Alexander Lambert amendment American Anslinger anti-drug antinarcotic law April Association became bill Brent Bureau of Narcotics cannabis century China Chinese chloral hydrate claimed cocaine Commission Commissioner Committee conference Cong Congress cotic Court crime cure danger disease doctors drug abuse drug addiction drug tolerance druggists effect enacted enforcement established favored fear federal government federal narcotic habit habit-forming drugs habitués Hague Harrison Act hearings heroin Hobson hospital House institutions Internal Revenue investigation JAMA Jin Fuey Moy Lambert legislation liquor marihuana ment methadone morphine narcotic clinics narcotic control Narcotic Division Narcotic Drug narcotic laws NDTC number of addicts Nutt officials opiates Opium Problem patent medicines patients percent pharmacists PHSR physicians Porter powers prescribing prescription President Prohibition proprietaries reformers regulation Secretary Senate sentences Shreveport smoking opium social tion Towns treatment U.S. Attorney United Wright York City
Popular passages
Page 382 - I propose a national mental health program to assist in the inauguration of a wholly new emphasis and approach to care for the mentally ill. This approach relies primarily upon the new knowledge and new drugs acquired and developed in recent years which make it possible for most of the mentally ill to be successfully and quickly treated in their own communities and returned to a useful place in society.