All Hopped Up: Drugs in America
Advertisement for cocaine toothache drops, 1885.
In December, recreational marijuana use became legal in Washington and Colorado. But back in the early 20th century, both states were among the first to ban the drug. If that seems like a radical change, well – it’s hardly the first time a drug has undergone a major image overhaul in America. This week, we trace the changing face of drugs – and drug users – in the U.S.
We start in the 19th century, when opium and cocaine were perfectly legal, and heroin was touted as for cure for morphine addiction. And we bring the story right on up through the 1970s, when Vietnam vets and suburban housewives triggered two very different drug panics. Throughout, we’ll look trace the story of the criminalization – and in the case of pot, decriminalization — of those substances. Along the way, we explore the influence of the medical establishment, as well as the role of popular culture, in shaping American attitudes about drugs.
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Guests Include:
- Isaac Campos, University of Cincinnati
- Emily Dufton, George Washington University
- Anne Foster, Indiana State University
- David Herzberg, University of Buffalo
- Jerome Jaffe, University of Maryland School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- Mike Jay, independent scholar
- Jeremy Kuzmarov, University of Tulsa
Further Exploration
Listen to individual show segments.
Listen to an extended version of Brian’s interview with David Herzberg.
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And, resources galore! Enjoy some outside links compiled by the BackStory team to dig deeper into the history of drug use in the US, and consult a bibliography of sources used in the making of this episode.
Even Further
Read the listener discussion that helped shape this episode.
See the music used in this episode.
Listen to music about drugs.
I enjoyed this show. But I would like to point out an omission of some consequence. In the segment on the first laws that made cocaine illegal in the early 20th century, you said this came about following the Spanish-American War in 1898 and the U.S. taking over the Philippines. That left out the four-year Philippine War, which took place after the end of the Spanish American War, during which we fought to control the Philippines against a guerrilla army seeking independence.
These days the Korean War often is called “America’s forgotten war.” I believe the Philippine War better deserves that description. Maybe you help make it more memorable and do a show on it.
QuoteExcellent show. I only wish there was more time for some of the more recent designer drugs, and maybe one on the fascinating history of LSD (and experiments done at colleges with students).
QuoteThanks for the great shows.