Environmental Strategies for Prevention
A Guide To Helping the Prevention Professional Work Effectively in the Community

Supplements

Drug Use and Laws in the United States

The history of non-medical drug use and policies extends back to the early settlement of the United States. Like alcohol, the classification of certain drugs as legal or illegal has changed over time. For example, cocaine and opium were legal during the 19th century and were favored drugs among the middle and upper classes. Cocaine, opium, and morphine were common ingredients in various potions sold over the counter. Heroin was hailed as a non-addicting treatment for morphine addiction and alcoholism.

By the end of the 19th century, however, concern was rising over the indiscriminate use of these drugs. States enacted control and prescription laws. In 1906 and 1914, Congress passed laws requiring accurate labeling and recordkeeping of products containing alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine, and a tax was imposed on opium products. The Women's Christian Temperance Movement, which embraced the concept of prohibition of alcohol, advocated for and helped pass the 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act in 1920. However, after the social turmoil and opposition generated in response to Prohibition, this legislation was repealed in 1933.

Current drug laws are rooted in the 1970 Controlled Substance Act. Drugs are classified according to their medical use, their potential for abuse, and their likelihood of producing dependence and are categorized in to "Schedules" (numbered I through V). This law also established maximum penalties for the criminal manufacture or distribution of controlled drugs.

Increases in alcohol consumption and illegal drugs during the 1960s raised public concern about drug problems. Prevention issues gained prominence on the national level with the creation of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) in 1971 and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in 1974. In addition to responsibility for research and treatment programs, both agencies included prevention components.

To further prevention initiatives at the Federal level, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 created the Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (OSAP). This office became responsible for Federal alcohol and other drug prevention activities under the Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Administration (ADAMHA). The ADAMHA block grant required that States set aside 20 percent of their alcohol and drug funding for prevention efforts. In a 1992 reorganization, OSAP became the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), part of the new Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). NIAAA and NIDA, as organizations dedicated primarily to research, became part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Excerpted from Foundations of Prevention: An Online Course in the Core Knowledge of Substance Abuse Prevention," SAMHSA. http://www.samhsa.gov

<< Previous Page