The History of MDMA as an Underground Drug in the United States, 1960-1979.

MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-methylamphetamine, a.k.a. "ecstasy") was first synthesized in 1912 and resynthesized more than once for pharmaceutical reasons before it became a popular recreational drug. Partially based on previously overlooked U.S. government documentation, this article reconstructs the early history of MDMA as a recreational drug in the U.S. from 1960 to 1979. According to the literature, MDMA was introduced as a street drug at the end of the 1960s. The first forensic detection of MDMA "on the street" was reported in 1970 in Chicago. It appears that MDMA was first synthesized by underground chemists in search of "legal alternatives" for the closely related and highly sought-after drug MDA, which was scheduled under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in 1970. Until 1974, nearly all MDMA street samples seized came from the U.S. Midwest, the first "hot region" of MDMA use. In Canada, MDMA was first detected in 1974 and scheduled in 1976. From 1975 to 1979, MDMA was found in street samples in more than 10 U.S. states, the West Coast becoming the major "hot region" of MDMA use. Recreational use of MDMA spread across the U.S. in the early 1980s, and in 1985 it was scheduled under the CSA.

A Síndrome da Exclusão Social: compreensão das origens da violência/ contraviolência no Brasil / The social exclusion syndrome: comprehension of the violence/counter-violence origins in Brazil

A indiferença humana no Brasil desde o início da colonização tem produzido e perpetuado o fenômeno da exclusão social. Um exemplo é a escravidão que durou cerca de 350 anos. Esse fenômeno excludente materializa-se ao produzir uma diversidade de fatores de risco biopsicossociais impactantes desde a gestação e em todos os períodos do ciclo de vida, acumulando e deixando sequelas profundas. Na década de 80 ocorreu interação sinérgica perversa entre o fenômeno da exclusão social e a entrada das drogas no nosso meio. A criança maior, o adolescente e o adulto jovem, muitas vezes socialmente vulneráveis, encontraram nas drogas duas possibilidades: a primeira, usar e abusar de drogas por várias razões, entre elas, baixa autoestima, para aliviar ansiedade e depressão, raiva; devido a uma personalidade extrovertida, impulsividade e inclinação ao comportamento de risco. E a segunda possibilidade, "empoderadora", entrar para o tráfico como meio de subir na vida e também por razões subjetivas. Esses caminhos quase sempre resultam em dependência química, "overdose", hospitalizações, práticas de atos infracionais, prisões, mortes e homicídios. O estudo indica que primariamente ocorreu violência histórica contra esse contingente populacional e que, muitas vezes, essa violência desencadeia um fenômeno também complexo, a contraviolência. A abordagem da violência/contraviolência deve focar, simultaneamente, sua origem (cultura da indiferença) e as consequências (fatores de risco e impactos biopsicossociais).(AU)

The human indifference in Brazil since the beginning of colonization has produced and perpetuated the phenomenon of social exclusion. The example is the slavery, which lasted about 350 years. This exclusive phenomenon has materialized itself as it has produced a diversity of biopsychosocial risk factors, which has impacted the individuals in all their life cycle periods from the gestation, accumulating and leaving their effects. In the 80's there was a perverse synergic interaction between the phenomenon of social exclusion and the entrance of drugs in our environment. The older child, the teenager and the young adult, socially vulnerables, find in drugs two possibilities: first, use and abuse of drugs for many reasons such as low self-esteem, to alleviate depression, anxiety and anger; due to an outgoing personality, impulsivity and more inclined to take risks; second possibility, "empowering", entering the drug trade as a way of getting ahead in life and also for subjective reasons. These pathways often always result in addiction, "overdose", hospitalization, infraction acts practice and also, arrests, deaths and homicides. The study of these cases in our history context shows that we face a primary historical violence against a huge population group that often this violence triggers a complex phenomenon, the counter-violence. The approach of violence/counter-violence should focus, simultaneously, on both the origin (culture of indifference) and the consequences (risk factors and biopsychosocial impacts).(AU)

"Addicted to Euphoria": The History, Clinical Presentation, and Management of Party Drug Misuse.

Eating, drinking, sexual activity, and parenting invoke pleasure, an emotion that promotes repetition of these behaviors, are essential for survival. Euphoria, a feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness, is an amplification of pleasure, aspired to one's essential biological needs that are satisfied. People use party drugs as a shortcut to euphoria. Ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), γ-hydroxybutyric acid, and ketamine fall under the umbrella of the term "party drugs," each with differing neuropharmacological and physiological actions. This chapter seeks to survey the history and epidemiology of party drug use; we will then discuss the pharmacological characteristics of each drug to provide a platform for understanding the difficulties that party drug users encounter through intoxication, harmful use, dependence, and withdrawal and how these should be clinically managed.

Antropología e historia de las drogas caseras o cotidianas: desde la búsqueda del efecto analgésico, anestésico y ansiolítico hasta la búsqueda de efectos psicosociales / No disponible

El consumo de sustancias con el fin de producir algún tipo de alteración de la percepción y de la conducta es inherente a la especie humana, tal y como podemos comprobar en los distintos periodos temporales de la historia humana. Desde la recolección de miel y la elaboración de hidromiel, el consumo de adormidera o de plantas antiálgicas en la prehistoria; pasando por el vino, la cerveza, el opio, el beleño y la mandrágora en la antigüedad; los destilados del vino y el café en la edad media; el láudano, el aguardiente, las colas y el tabaco en el renacimiento; hasta la cocaína en el s. XIX, parece que el ser humano siempre ha tenido cerca la ayuda de sustancias estimulantes, sedantes, anestésicas o alucinógenas, con usos que van desde fines ritualísticos hasta fines sociales, y que eran consumidos tanto de forma institucionalizada como de forma casera, observando que es habitual el inicio del consumo con cierto control hasta que deviene a un consumo casero o lúdico. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar cómo estas sustancias caseras o cotidianas se han venido presentando en los principales periodos históricos y que, aunque pudieran considerarse alimentos, producían otros efectos muy oportunos en ocasiones (AU)

Substance use in order to produce some kind of alteration of perception and behaviour is inherent in the human species, as we can see in the different periods in human history. From honey collection and hydromel making, consumption of poppy or antalgic plants in prehistory, through wine, beer, opium, henbane and mandrake in ancient times, wine distillates and coffee in the Middle Ages, laudanum, spirits, cola nuts and tobacco in the Renaissance, to cocaine in the XIX century, it seems that humans have always had at hand the aid of stimulants, sedatives, anaesthetic or hallucinogenic substances, with uses ranging from ritualistic to social purposes, and that they were consumed on both an institutionalized basis or at home, noting that the usual pattern is initiation with some control until this turns into domestic or recreational use. The aim of this paper is to present how these commonplace or household substances have come forward in the main historical periods and, although they could be considered foodstuffs, to show how they occasionally produced other very opportune effects (AU)

Abuse liability of novel 'legal high' designer stimulants: evidence from animal models.

In the last few years, the variety and recreational use of 'legal high' designer stimulants has increased to unprecedented levels. Since their rapid emergence in drug markets, numerous adverse physical and psychological effects have been extensively reported. However, less is understood about the potential for compulsive use of and addiction to these drugs. Recently, a small collection of scientific studies assessing the abuse liability of these drugs has emerged. This new knowledge has been derived primarily from animal studies using behaviorally based procedures which include intravenous self-administration, conditioned place preference, intracranial self-stimulation, and drug discrimination. In this review we present a brief history of the recent rise in designer stimulant use followed by a short methodological description of the aforementioned procedures. We then review neurochemical and abuse liability studies on designer stimulants that have been examined to date. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of these collective findings, our current understanding of the abuse liability of these drugs in relation to each other and the illicit drugs they are designed to mimic, and recommend future research directions.

On the history of opium / Z dziejów opium.

Most likely, opium was the first narcotic substance discovered at the dawn of humankind. The history of drug addiction is immensely rich and allows for tracing the long way humankind had to travel to reach the contemporary level of consciousness with respect to narcotic substances. A retrospective view of drug addiction that takes into consideration the historical context, while extending our knowledge, also allows for a better understanding of today's problems. The report presents elements of a retrospective view of problems associated with addiction to opium, morphine and heroin over the centuries, what is a subject of scientific interest in contemporary toxicology.

Primeros debates sobre legislación del uso de drogas en Argentina a comienzos del siglo XX: la propuesta del Dr. Leopoldo Bard y su contexto sociohistórico / First debates regarding the legalization of drug use in Argentina at the start of the 20th century: the proposal of Dr. Leopoldo Bard and its sociohistorical context

Este trabajo analiza los discursos del médico higienista argentino Leopoldo Bard a partir de tres publicaciones que realizó entre 1923 y 1933 sobre toxicomanías. Las mismas condensan los debates en torno al papel del Estado, de las políticas públicas nacionales, regionales y, particularmente, la influencia norteamericana en Argentina a través de su figura. Las medidas legislativas y políticas de la época, de indudable corte represivo, fueron significativas para los avances del Estado en la esfera privada, la creciente importancia de los cuerpos profesionales en la definición de fronteras materiales y simbólicas sobre lo socialmente aceptable, incluyendo lo relativo al consumo de drogas. También se destacan los múltiples propósitos que parecen satisfacer estas políticas: en el plano local habilitan otras formas de represión de los conflictos derivados de la inmigración mientras que, en el internacional, complacen a los requerimientos norteamericanos.

This paper analyzes the discourses of Argentine doctor and public health professional Leopoldo Bard using three texts on drug abuse published between 1923 and 1933. These texts embody the debates of the time regarding the role of the State, public policies at the national and regional level and, particularly, the US influence in Argentina exerted through the figure of Dr. Bard. The legislative measures and policies of that time, undoubtedly of a repressive character, were key in the State's advances into the private sphere and in the increasing importance of professional organizations in the definition of the material and symbolic borders of the socially acceptable, including those related to drug use. The multiple purposes these policies seem to satisfy are also highlighted: at the local level they enable other forms of repressing conflicts arising from immigration, while at the international level they appease US requirements.

Primeros debates sobre legislación del uso de drogas en Argentina a comienzos del siglo XX: la propuesta del Dr. Leopoldo Bard y su contexto sociohistórico / First debates regarding the legalization of drug use in Argentina at the start of the 20th century: the proposal of Dr. Leopoldo Bard and its sociohistorical context

Este trabajo analiza los discursos del médico higienista argentino Leopoldo Bard a partir de tres publicaciones que realizó entre 1923 y 1933 sobre toxicomanías. Las mismas condensan los debates en torno al papel del Estado, de las políticas públicas nacionales, regionales y, particularmente, la influencia norteamericana en Argentina a través de su figura. Las medidas legislativas y políticas de la época, de indudable corte represivo, fueron significativas para los avances del Estado en la esfera privada, la creciente importancia de los cuerpos profesionales en la definición de fronteras materiales y simbólicas sobre lo socialmente aceptable, incluyendo lo relativo al consumo de drogas. También se destacan los múltiples propósitos que parecen satisfacer estas políticas: en el plano local habilitan otras formas de represión de los conflictos derivados de la inmigración mientras que, en el internacional, complacen a los requerimientos norteamericanos.(AU)

This paper analyzes the discourses of Argentine doctor and public health professional Leopoldo Bard using three texts on drug abuse published between 1923 and 1933. These texts embody the debates of the time regarding the role of the State, public policies at the national and regional level and, particularly, the US influence in Argentina exerted through the figure of Dr. Bard. The legislative measures and policies of that time, undoubtedly of a repressive character, were key in the States advances into the private sphere and in the increasing importance of professional organizations in the definition of the material and symbolic borders of the socially acceptable, including those related to drug use. The multiple purposes these policies seem to satisfy are also highlighted: at the local level they enable other forms of repressing conflicts arising from immigration, while at the international level they appease US requirements.(AU)

An evolving problem: methamphetamine production and trafficking in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Methamphetamine is a serious illicit drug problem in the United States and globally. For decades, methamphetamine has been supplied to the illicit market through local clandestine manufacturing and trafficking. In the early stages, illicit methamphetamine was produced and trafficked by motorcycle gangs and Mexican criminal groups. Over time, local clandestine manufacturing increasingly contributed to the illicit supply and broader methamphetamine problem. This review examines the evolution of the illicit methamphetamine supply in the U.S. METHODS: A review of the literature on methamphetamine production and trafficking was conducted. Information was obtained from numerous sources including governmental reports, books and academic articles. RESULTS: Attempts to control the supply of methamphetamine have only led to short term disruptions in availability. Clandestine manufacturing and trafficking have undergone significant changes over the past several decades. Shifts in local production have regularly been counterbalanced by changes in production and trafficking from criminal organizations in Mexico. Transnational criminal organizations now control much of the methamphetamine supply in the U.S. and methamphetamine remains widely available. CONCLUSIONS: The supply of methamphetamine in the United States is dynamic. Producers and traffickers have adapted to control efforts and the problem continues. Control efforts focused on eliminating supply are limited at best.

How and why AIDS changed drug policy in Switzerland.

Switzerland implemented a harm reduction program and reduced the spread of HIV within the drug scene, and from drug users into other population groups, earlier than many countries. Each canton developed strategies based on its drug problem. By 1985 it was obvious that 'needle sharing' was the most significant pathway in the transmission of HIV. Some cities established Drug Consumption Rooms and small-scale syringe exchange programs. However, a dramatic concentration of drug use in the Platzspitz (a park) of Zürich evolved where 1000-2000 drug users gathered daily, many of whom were infected with HIV. The Federal Office of Public Health financed needle exchange and other harm reduction programs, with evaluation. Within a few years the Swiss established low-threshold methadone treatment programs and Heroin-Assisted Therapy. In 2008, the Swiss approved a law based on the principles of a 'four pillar system': repression, prevention, harm reduction, and treatment.

Illegal drugs, anti-drug policy failure, and the need for institutional reforms in Colombia.

This paper is inspired by two anomalies encountered in the study of the illegal drugs industry. First, despite the very high profits of coca/cocaine and poppy/opium/heroin production, most countries that can produce do not. Why, for example, does Colombia face much greater competition in the international coffee, banana, and other legal product markets than in cocaine? And second, though illegal drugs are clearly associated with violence, why is it that illegal drug trafficking organizations have been so much more violent in Colombia and Mexico than in the rest of the world? The answers to these questions cannot be found in factors external to Colombia (and Mexico). They require identifying the societal weaknesses of each country. To do so, the history of the illegal drugs industry is surveyed, a simple model of human behavior that stresses the conflict between formal (legal) and informal (socially accepted) norms as a source of the weaknesses that make societies vulnerable is formulated. The reasons why there is a wide gap between formal and informal norms in Colombia are explored and the effectiveness of anti-drug policies is considered to explain why they fail to achieve their posited goals. The essay ends with reflections and conclusion on the need for institutional change.

Steppingstone and gateway ideas: a discussion of origins, research challenges, and promising lines of research for the future.

In this discussion of contributed papers for the special issue of DAD, the author draws attention to early American laws concerning cannabis and to statements made about the epidemiology of cannabis smoking and other drug use between 1858 and the contemporary scene, with coverage of opium, heroin, tobacco, alcohol, cocaine, kava, and other drugs. He discusses these steppingstone and gateway processes in relation to political environment and in relation to scientific challenges such as uncontrolled confounding. He provides a critique of between-individual research designs, including co-twin and co-sib designs of behavior genetics, as well as imaging research, where uncontrolled confounding often exists. He highlights the epidemiologic case-crossover design and prevention research experiments as potentially valuable approaches in new directions for research on the steppingstone and gateway processes.

Phencyclidine/schizophrenia: one view toward the past, the other to the future.

The history of the chemical synthesis and animal/human pharmacology of phencyclidine is documented. From its early use as a general anesthetic, chemical model of schizophrenia, and drug of abuse, phencyclidine has had a checkered history. Research with this agent and its chemical derivatives like ketamine have provided a solid foundation for just a beginning to understanding the neuropathology of schizophrenia.

First debates regarding the legalization of drug use in Argentina at the start of the 20th century: the proposal of Dr. Leopoldo Bard and its sociohistorical context. / Primeros debates sobre legislación del uso de drogas en Argentina a comienzos del siglo XX: la propuesta del Dr. Leopoldo Bard y su contexto sociohistórico.

This paper analyzes the discourses of Argentine doctor and public health professional Leopoldo Bard using three texts on drug abuse published between 1923 and 1933. These texts embody the debates of the time regarding the role of the State, public policies at the national and regional level and, particularly, the US influence in Argentina exerted through the figure of Dr. Bard. The legislative measures and policies of that time, undoubtedly of a repressive character, were key in the State's advances into the private sphere and in the increasing importance of professional organizations in the definition of the material and symbolic borders of the socially acceptable, including those related to drug use. The multiple purposes these policies seem to satisfy are also highlighted: at the local level they enable other forms of repressing conflicts arising from immigration, while at the international level they appease US requirements.

Este trabajo analiza los discursos del médico higienista argentino Leopoldo Bard a partir de tres publicaciones que realizó entre 1923 y 1933 sobre toxicomanías. Las mismas condensan los debates en torno al papel del Estado, de las políticas públicas nacionales, regionales y, particularmente, la influencia norteamericana en Argentina a través de su figura. Las medidas legislativas y políticas de la época, de indudable corte represivo, fueron significativas para los avances del Estado en la esfera privada, la creciente importancia de los cuerpos profesionales en la definición de fronteras materiales y simbólicas sobre lo socialmente aceptable, incluyendo lo relativo al consumo de drogas. También se destacan los múltiples propósitos que parecen satisfacer estas políticas: en el plano local habilitan otras formas de represión de los conflictos derivados de la inmigración mientras que, en el internacional, complacen a los requerimientos norteamericanos.

"Poppies are democracy!" A critical geopolitics of opium eradication and reintroduction in Turkey.

Historical scholarship in traditional geopolitics often relied on documents authored by states and by other influential actors. Although much work in the subfield of critical geopolitics thus far has addressed imbalances constructed in official, academic, and popular media due to a privileging of such narratives, priority might also be given to unearthing and bringing to light alternative geopolitical perspectives from otherwise marginalized populations. Utilizing the early-1970s case of the United States' first "war on drugs," this article examines the geopolitics of opium-poppy eradication and its consequences within Turkey. Employing not only archival and secondary sources but also oral histories from now-retired poppy farmers, this study examines the diffusion of U.S. antinarcotics policies into the Anatolian countryside and the enduring impressions that the United States and Turkish government created. In doing so, this research gives voice to those farmers targeted by eradication policies and speaks more broadly to matters of narcotics control, sentiments of anti-Americanism, and notions of democracy in Turkey and the region, past and present.

Violence, drug markets and racial composition: challenging stereotypes through spatial analysis.

Places in which there is a strong spatial connection between violence and drug activity can often evoke particular stereotypes. They are believed to be places marked by high levels of social disorganisation, unemployment, disorder and racial heterogeneity. Yet scholars have argued that the spatial relationship between drug market activity and violence is more complicated and that other factors may explain this geographical connection. In the first article of this two-part series, different types of spatial analysis were employed to describe crime concentrations of drugs and violence. Evidence was found that challenges the notion that places with drug activity are inevitably more violent. This second paper examines what factors predict these variations in drug­violence spatial patterns in Seattle when derived using different spatial methods. The findings indicate that racial composition, disorder and unemployment may not be as salient as once believed in predicting places that are violent drug markets.