When did drugs become illegal?

[Gaon]

I was thinking of getting the PCs involved in stopping a couple of drug trades and I started thinking. When and where did drugs first become illegal? I would ellaborate more on the question but right now I'm really tired.

 

[msd]

I was thinking of getting the PCs involved in stopping a couple of drug trades and I started thinking. When and where did drugs first become illegal? I would ellaborate more on the question but right now I'm really tired.

I assume we are talking about drug laws in the United States? And I assume we are excluding alcohol, tobacco, and other legal, but dependency-forming chemicals?

I think around the beginning of the 20th century is a good rough estimate. Quick search on google gave the following:

http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/deamuseum/museum_ida.html

Hope that helps,
matt

 

[msd]

More specifically (from one of those pages):

"Once the extremely debilitating power of addicting drugs was recognized, many American cities and states--starting with San Francisco in 1875--began passing anti-drug laws."

 

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

You mean they used to have drugs, here, in my SF Bay Area? I'm shocked!

 

[Dogbrain]

More specifically (from one of those pages):

"Once the extremely debilitating power of addicting drugs was recognized, many American cities and states--starting with San Francisco in 1875--began passing anti-drug laws."

It should also be noted that there was a very strong racial/racist element in the major prohibition crazes that swept the USA from the late 19th century until 1920.

Opiates were "the Chinese vice".
Marijuana was "the Negro vice" or "the Mexican vice", depending on geography.
Alcohol overuse was considered a particularly "Irish" problem in many parts of the USA, although blacks and Mexicans were also painted as chronically drunk as a racial trait.

 

[Dogbrain]

You mean they used to have drugs, here, in my SF Bay Area? I'm shocked!

Not only that, but they used to have coffeehouses wherein intellectuals were permitted to smoke hand-rolled Turkish tobacco cigarettes!

 

[s/LaSH]

Interestingly, I think Islamic countries have banned alcohol since the seventh century or so.

It's evident that deleterious effects have been recognised in some substances for quite a while. On the other hand, I suspect a lot of prohibitions have revolved around prestige - did commoners in the Aztec empire get hot chocolate to drink? I think not.

Overall, I think that the Victorian USA was the time and place for Vice to be Frowned Upon The Most, real or not. So I'd date most prohibitions as originating, if not in that actual era, then in spirit in that era (law sometimes takes time to flow from the Moral to the Legislators).

 

[Krieg]

You mean they used to have drugs, here, in my SF Bay Area? I'm shocked!

Used to?!

 

[diaglo]

Interestingly, I think Islamic countries have banned alcohol since the seventh century or so.).

Turkish tobacco was used in Camel cigarettes for many years.


the touching of tobacco to the lips was not allowed.

you could see/ probably still see Turks smoking.

technique: make a fist. insert lit cigarette near thumb and inhale near pinkie. no tobacco touches lips in this fashion.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

did commoners in the Aztec empire get hot chocolate to drink? I think not.

Didn't they smoke it?

AR