The history of drug policy in the United States is complex and characterized by numerous political, social and economic influences. The infamous “War on Drugs”, which was officially proclaimed in the early 1970s under then President Richard Nixon, is by no means at the beginning of this development, but merely marks a turning pointin dealing with illegal substances. Nixon initiated a comprehensive government program that massively increased the fight against drug use, trade and the associated crime. A special focus was on the containment of money laundering, which was closely linked to the thriving drug market. The social upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s, characterized byProtest movements, countercultures and a new openness to psychoactive substances such as marijuana, LSD, heroin and cocaine prepared the ground for these policies. Many adolescents and young adults deliberately set themselves apart from the traditional values of society during this time, which made drug use a symbol of resistance and freedom. thePolitical decision-makers, above all Nixon, were concerned about this change. After the hardships of the Vietnam War and the associated social upheavals, the fear grew that the foundation of a strong America and the moral values of society could falter. In consumers and traders of illegal substances, a new, cleardefinable opponent, which should be countered with all the harshness of the state.
Legal basis and early drug regulation
This policy was legally anchored with the Controlled Substances Act, which was adopted shortly before Nixon took office in the year nineteen hundred and seventy. This law, which is still decisive today, regulates the production, import, possession, consumption and distribution of drugs in the United States. It divides the substances into different categories, based ontheir addiction potential, health risks, possible medical applications and other criteria. New drugs that enter the market are analyzed and classified accordingly in specialized laboratories of the Ministry of Health. But the history of drug regulation in the USA goes back much further. As early as the nineteenth century, the first laws onProtection of the population from dangerous substances enacted. Particularly noteworthy is the time of the Prohibition, which lasted from nineteen hundred and twenty-nine hundred thirty-three. In this phase, the sale of alcoholic beverages was banned in the United States. Prohibition was enforced against the express will of then President Woodrow Wilson.Religious groups saw alcohol consumption as the origin of moral decay and passionately committed to a ban. Other advocates put forward economic arguments, such as the need to use all food production and economic recovery resources after World War I, instead of using alcoholic beverages to produce alcohol.waste. Public health protection also played a significant role in the arguments of the proponents of prohibition.
The regulation of opium and other substances
The regulation of opium is another central chapter in American drug policy. Already in the year eighteen hundred and seventy-five, smoking of opium in San Francisco was prohibited by law, as far as the Chinese immigrant population, who had brought this practice from their homeland, was particularly important. The Opium Exclusion Act of nineteen hundred nine banned nationwideImport and smoking of opium, with health and criminological reasons cited as justification. It is striking that the medical use of opium initially remained allowed, which points to the broad social acceptance and the long tradition of medical opium use. With the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act of nineteen hundred and fourteen, theControl over opiates and Coca products further tightened. The production, import and release of these substances were strictly regulated, so that they were only allowed to be prescribed by medical professionals from now on. These measures are to be seen against the background of a general strengthening of state control mechanisms, which in many areas of themade in public life. It can be assumed that the desire for greater control over the import and distribution of opium and Coca products and the growing awareness of their harmful effects on health contributed significantly to the tightening of legislation.
International intertwining and the role of opium trade
However, the drug problem is not an exclusively American phenomenon, but closely linked to international trade relations and geopolitical interests. This becomes particularly clear using the example of opium trade between Great Britain, India and China. Originally, the exchange between Europe and China began with the import of tea, for which the Europeans had large quantities of silverhad to spend. Over the eighteenth century, the UK recognized the possibility of balancing this trade balance by exporting opium from British-controlled areas in India to China. Although the Chinese authorities warned early on of the devastating consequences of opium consumption and took numerous measures to contain it, trade in the drug increasedrapidly on. The economic interests of Great Britain were above the health and social consequences for the Chinese population. The situation escalated when Chinese officials demonstratively had a British opium depot destroyed, which led to the outbreak of the first opium war in eighteen hundred ninety-nine-nine-thirty-nine-thirty-nine-thirty-nine-nine-thirty-nine-thirty-nine-thirty-nine-thirty-nine-a-thirds The result was a forced opening up of China for theinternational trade, the legalization of opium trade by the colonial powers and the establishment of new free trade zones. These developments had far-reaching effects and showed how much global economic interests can influence drug policy and thus the fate of entire population groups.
The social and political consequences of restrictive drug policy
The effects of restrictive drug policies are felt in many ways. At the social level, criminalization led to a sharper social tension, particularly marginalized groups. Government measures often aimed at drastically reducing drug use, but the illegal market continued to flourish. The prohibitionAnd the massive prosecution of illegal substances favored the emergence of the shadow economy and organized criminal structures. Historically, it can be observed that state interventions did not always lead to the desired results. Rather, the problems were shifted: instead of curbing the consumption of dangerous substances, new forms ofcreated illegal production and trade. The experience with the prohibition of alcohol shows this particularly clearly. Despite the ban, consumers and traders found a variety of ways to get to the coveted substances, so that the black market was really flourishing. The social costs, for example in the form of increasing violent crime and corruption, were enormous.
Global perspectives and the search for new ways
The history of drug policy, as it has developed in the United States and in an international context, illustrates how complex and complex the handling of psychoactive substances is. It turns out that purely repressive measures rarely lead to success in the long term. Rather, it requires a balanced approach, prevention, education, health care andsocial integration equally taken into account. Past experience, both at national and global level, makes it clear that drug problems must always be considered in the context of social, economic and political framework conditions. The demand for ever new, stricter laws and prohibitions fails to recognize the deeper causes ofdrug use and trade. Ultimately, society faces the challenge of finding ways to take appropriate account of the protection of the population as well as individual freedoms and social realities. In a globalized world where markets, people and information are increasingly closely linked, the search for solutions to the drug problem is becomingA task that transcends national borders and requires international cooperation.
