Transcript A Brief History of Drugs

A Brief History of Drugs
and Drug Laws
FRSC 8104
Criminalistics II
Professor Bensley
“Why
GreatGrandma
was
Always so
Happy!”
What is a Drug?
• Substance that, when ingested, is capable of
producing a physiological change
• Medicines – combinations of drugs and inert
ingredients
The Legal Drug Industry
• 2013 – Worldwide pharmaceutical revenue
was $980 BILLION (2001 = $172 Billion)
• U.S. accounts for approx. 40% of world’s
pharmaceutical industry revenue
• Top selling legal drugs worldwide?
1. Abilify - $1.6 billion
2. Nexium - $1.6 billion
3. Humira - $1.5 billion
The Illicit Drug Industry
• Almost impossible to determine
• “Guesstimations” - $50 to $350 BILLION
– Cocaine: ~$100 Billion (mostly North America
– 62%)
– Heroin: ~$100 Billion (Europe is #1 in sales –
56%)
– Cannabis: ~$75 Billion (North America
dominated – 55%)
Source: http://www.unodc.org/pdf/technical_series_1998-01-01_1.pdf
2014 Trends - http://www.unodc.org/wdr2014/
Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics
Past Month Illicit Drug Use among Persons Aged 12 or Older: 2012
Source: http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/nationwide-trends
Past Month Use of Selected Illicit Drugs among
Persons Aged 12 or Older: 2002-2012
Source: http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/nationwide-trends
Going Way Back…
The
th
19
Century
The
th
19
Century
The 19th Century
Morphine Structure
Heroin Structure
Have a Coke
and a Smile!
Patent Medicines
All laws regulating
drugs have been
enacted due to either
racism or social class
prejudices.
Opium Control and
Chinese Immigrants
Surprise…
Pure Food and Drug Act (1906)
Harrison Tax Act (1914)
th
20
Early
Century
Marih(j)uana Tax Act (1937)
Marih(j)uana Tax Act (1937)
The “High” Sixties
Controlled Substances Act (1970)
The 1980s
Recent History
As of 4/2014