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Substance Abuse in the Unites States

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Substance abuse in the Unites States has changed constantly. In addition it has caused significant public health problem affecting society on numerous levels. Families as well as communities are affected by substance abuse. In this paper I will examine the past and current trends of substance abuse, and how the use of illicit drugs may be considered culturally appropriate. In the mid 1800’s Opium began to arrive as Chinese workers immigrated to the United States to work on the railroads and gold mines. By the late 1800s, opium was quite a popular drug. Before long, opium dens had spread throughout the United States. In 1803, the German scientist Friedrich Sertürner successfully isolated morphine from opium for the purpose of using it as a surgical and post-surgical anesthetic soon making it available to physicians in the United States. It did alleviate pain, but in the process it also left the user in an anesthetized and euphoric state. The benefits of morphine were considered amazing to physicians of the era. But, the addictive properties were not discovered until after the Civil War. “In 1895, Heinrich Dreser, working for the Bayer Company in Germany, synthesized heroin. Bayer began to market the drug in 1898 (Brecher, 1972)”. In 1600 settlers introduced cannabis to Jamestown Virginia at the time it was used for its fiber. That was used to make rope, sails, and clothing. From 1611 until after the Civil War, cannabis was the main crop in North America playing a significant role in the colonial and national economic policy. “Between 1850 and 1937 marijuana was widely used throughout United States as a medicinal drug and could easily be purchased in pharmacies and general stores. Recreational use was limited in the US until after the Mexican Revolution of 1910, when an influx of Mexican immigrants introduced the habit. In 1937, Congress passed the

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