The American Drug Culture

Throughout this essay the sociological imagination is used to analyse the historical, cultural and structural reasons for drug use and abuse. Within this parameter the sociological imagination is applied, using studies research conducted in the United Kingdom, Australia, Russia and the United States. The sociological imagination was defined by Charles Write Mills as a ‘quality of mind’. (Mills quoted by Germov, Poole 2007: 4 ) It is stimulated by an awareness to view the social world by looking at how one’s own personal problems and experiences form a relationship to the wider society. In Victorian society the majority of people believed there was no ‘drug problem.' (Berridge, 1999) The substances used in Britain at the time like opium

For better or worse, many societies of the modern world tolerate certain methods of self-intoxication. Despite the possibility of negative consequences, all the cultures of the world the consumption of substances like alcohol and tobacco are sanctioned under particular circumstances. All societies face the reality that significant proportions of mankind seek to the same time expressly criminalizing others. This irony is made more bizarre by the evidence that a myriad of rich cultural timelines can supply to demonstrate that there is reasonable historical precedence in existence to show the use of alternative forms of drugs being cultivated and utilized.(McKenna)

Although the English word “drug” was only coined in the early 1300’s, humans have been partaking in the recreational use of substances since prehistoric times. Hallucinogens, alcohol, and opium existed before 6,000 BC; alcohol and tobacco use were common in the 1600’s ; and cocaine, LSD, marijuana, and heroin use rampaged in the last century despite harsh laws put in place.

Since the 19th century, the illicit drug, heroin, has been a part of American society. When heroin was first discovered it was thought to be a wonder drug because of the euphoric feeling a person is said to feel after using it. However, once the debilitating effects of this highly addictive drug was realized the anti-drug law, the Harrison Narcotics Act, was enacted that restricted its use to medicinal purposes only. In 1920, heroin was banned altogether through the Dangerous Drug Act (Habal, 2011). Heroin for the most part was thought to have gone underground until the Vietnam War.

Social conflicts and struggles are an inevitable part of any society in any country. These struggles can include an increased rate in crime, unemployment, domestic/general violence, and overall civilian depression. When governments cannot seem to find a means to an end, they often turn and look for something to blame for their struggles, and that thing is more often than not, drugs. For many years, several opiates and drugs were primarily used for medicinal purposes, were seen to have an abundance of health benefits and was widely accepted among communities. Although, with the increasing social conflicts and economic conditions, authorities turned to and targeted many different forms of once accepted drugs, and made them the scapegoat for the problems they were facing.

The drug war in America has shaped our society into what we know it as today, the war has so far been a failure where hundreds of millions of dollars, workforce, and policies have only served to maintain the same rates of usage as those in the 1970’s. When the drugs hit America, they hit hard. Overwhelmed by drugs showing up in almost every town, America decided to declare war.

Did you know that in 2011, almost five people per hour dies of a drug overdose in the U.S alone? Good morning/afternoon everyone, isn’t it shocking to learn how easy it is to die of a drug overdose, yet, it seems, people in Brave New World are willing to take them in order to retain a permanent happiness holiday 24/7. Drugs both play a massive role in Brave New World and our modern society. I’m sure if I were to ask you if you knew of anyone who has ever tried drugs, I think we all would know the answer. It seems that in The World State you cannot find one person who doesn’t take drugs. Throughout this seminar we are going to see how drugs play an important role in both Brave New World and our modern day society for different reasons but also for some of the same reasons.

Many currently illegal drugs such as marijuana and cocaine have been used for years for both medical and personal uses. The first cocaine laws were directed towards black men in the South. The first marijuana laws were passed in the 1910s were directed toward Mexican Americans as well as Mexican Immigrants. Since the beginning of the 1900s, the illegal smuggling of drugs has been a prevalent problem in America. It was not until June 1971 that President Richard Nixon declared a war on drugs, because he believed America’s number one enemy was drug abuse. As an effect of the drug wars of Colombia, taking place throughout the 1900s, the American culture changed drastically economically and in the areas of drug and gang mentality as well as violence,

Opium has been been around forever, but up until a century ago, it was seen as a gift from God. Used by sixteenth-century physicians and prescribed to patients, physicians praised that opium “...took away grief, fear, and anxiety”(Carnwath and Smith 5) Regrettably, as doctors consistently prescribed the drug, it became popular as an alternative for smoking cocaine, and heroin spread throughout America in the 1920s and 1930s (Courtwright 85).

What lead to the failure of the War on Drug? To answer that we need to know about the War on

Use of psychoactive substances for recreational purposes is not a radically new social issue. In fact, history tells us that almost every society had their own pharmacopeia of herbs, potions, and substances that not only contributed to healing, but also allowed the user to escape reality (Schules 1992, 4-5). However, it is the contemporary use of psychoactive drugs purchased through illicit or illegal channels and used by persons neither prescribed nor in quantities larger than necessary that defines modern drug abuse (Robins 2006). Prior to World War I, substances like morphine, heroin, and cocaine were available in the major American cities, particularly those with active international ports. For instance, when Chinese immigrants were first imported to work in the mines and railroads during the early 1800s, they brought opium to America. It was the leisure class, who began to experiment with this drug, and, as in Europe, many major U.S. cities had so-called opium dens. In addition, there were a substantial number of "society women" who ended up addicted because their doctor prescribed this drug to deal with female histrionics or to "cure" an excessive sexual appetite (Johnson 2002). Within major cities, this problem began to spill over into other groups: prostitutes, child laborers, orphans, and even men and women of lower social classes seeking to escape the harshness of their lives (Courtwright 2002, 3-19). Between the widespread use and general

In and around most large cities in America, the rising substance abuse epidemic has brought about a renewed interested in determining the root cause of substance abuse, the effects of substance abuse on individuals and societies, and the substance abuse treatment modalities that achieve the best outcomes. In reviewing the current research on substance abuse there seems to be no one clear cause of substance abuse disorders, although there is strong evidence that a number of life circumstances may predispose an individual to a substance abuse disorder, as well as a number of protective factors that may reduce an individual’s risk of developing a substance abuse disorder. One important risk factor that is commonly associated with substance

Drugs were legal for many years before the 1914 Harrison Act. The period of massive availability of drugs and the consumption of the same was in the 19th century (Defeis 101). For the better part of the century morphine, cocaine, and opium were legally available at drugstores as well as grocery stores without prescription (O 'donnell et al. 66). What is significant is that the period was not characterized by drug-paralyzed workers or drug-crazed criminals, rather it was a period marked by unprecedented economic development and productivity (Defeis 102).

As reiterated by Barbara Bibel, historic data reveals that the worldwide use of mind-altering drugs dates back to 5,000 BCE (Bibel 6). This fact proves that drug abuse is not a new dilemma nor has an effective solution to this age old problem been found. Over the centuries, substance abuse has been proven to be a contributing fact to a slew of social conditions such as the spread of HIV/Aids and increased crime rates, and has made many victims to the addictive properties of drugs. Unfortunately, America is not exempt from the global, dangerous and deadly effects of drug abuse. The abuse of prescription and illegal drugs has devastated American history, the present condition of the family system and projections for America’s future society.

Drug culture in the United States is constantly portrayed in the media and various entertainment outlets. The heavy presence of drug use in mainstream music, television, and news, is often glorified or excessively denounced, causing many to hold misconceptions about the factual consequences illegal drugs have on the human body. The United States Drug Enforcement Agency has categorized illegal drugs into five groups: narcotics, stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, and drugs of concern.