Anti-Drug Operations, Pre-1960s

Although U.S. efforts in the “War on Drugs” are not new, American drug problems and responses reflect a conglomeration of attitudes and customs that have defined and redefined the problem over time. Despite the perception of drugs as a modern plague, Americans have been using and abusing drugs since the Pilgrims landed here in 1620 with 14 tons of water, 10,000 gallons of wine, and 42 tons of beer. Historical accounts show that many anti-drug operations in the United States have been ill-fated attempts at social control. These attempts have ranged from periods of legal use of drugs for medicinal purposes to its repudiation on moral grounds to criminalization to medicalization. The most prevalently used drugs include depressants (alcohol, barbiturates, tranquilizers, Quaaludes, PCP), stimulants (caffeine, amphetamines, cocaine, crack, amyl nitrate, butyl [Page 37]nitrate), narcotics (opium, heroin, morphine), hallucinogens (peyote, psilocybin, psilocin, LSD, and ecstasy), tobacco, marijuana, and anabolic steroids. Worldwide and particularly in the United Stares, alcohol is by far the most abused drug.

Although some states had previously prohibited recreational use of marijuana, federal criminal legislation for the drug was not initiated until 1937. In the early 20th century, alcohol use and abuse was a major social issue. The efforts of the temperance movement culminated in the prohibition of alcohol from 1920 to 1933. From the 1860s to the 20th century, addiction to narcotics was a severe problem in the United States. Drugs containing opiates (including heroin and morphine) were commonly available for a variety of purposes and were particularly used for treating mental illness, headaches, toothaches, coughs, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. Many individuals suffered from both drug effects and the stringent social sanctions sometimes applied to control drug consumption.