Forces of habit.2

Forces of HabitDrugs and the Making of the

Modern World

David T. Courtwright

By Libby Dimenstein

The Psychoactive Revolution

The distribution of drugs and the spread of drug-use

The economy of drugsMedical vs. recreational

Advertising and mass-production

Government and drugsTaxation vs. prohibition

Smuggling and illicit behavior

Power struggles

Psychoactive Substances

The Big ThreeAlcohol

Wine, beer, and spirits

TobaccoCaffeine

Coffee, tea, chocolate, and soft drinks

The Little Three

OpiumMorphine

CannabisGanja and Marijuana

CocaCocaine

Regional Drugs- Why aren’t they as popular?

The kava beverage, betel, and hallucinogens were never as widely used as other drugs. Why?

Initial aversion

Cosmetic defects

Unwanted side effects

Shipping convenience

Cost

Religious beliefs

Medicinal Use

Most drugs became popular through medicinal use

Tobacco was used against the Plague

Wine was used against fever and fatigue

Hard liquor renewed strength

The big medical dilemma- treat the patient and receive benefits vs. no benefits and no chance of addiction

Addiction and Demand

Exposure is necessary, but does not guarantee addiction

As addiction continues, tolerance grows

To get the initial effect, users must consume more

There is always a demand for drugs

Advertisement and Sales

Each drug is essentially the same material

Sellers must distinguish themselves

Sellers can:Advertise

Make better products

Cut costs

Creating new markets

Buck Duke created a cigarette empire

Huge advertising

New markets

Tailored advertising

Fuel for Workers

Drugs act as incentives for workers and create dependency

Opium kept traveling Chinese workers in debt

Colombians smoked cannabis to survive their work

Tobacco calmed nerves in the Civil War

Native Americans traded all they had for liquor

Drug Taxation

Legal drugs can bring in huge amounts of money for governments

Import and export taxes

State monopolies

Tax dependencyGovernments wish to stop the use of dangerous drugs, but cannot afford to lose the tax money

Attempted alcohol prohibition in India

High and low taxesIf taxes are too high, smuggling will occur

Tea and tobacco smuggling in Britain

If taxes are too low, unregulated use of drugs will occur

Prohibition

Why prohibition?Users can hurt themselves and those around themDrives up taxes for societyAgainst religionAssociation of a drug with a disliked groupEndangers future of society

Large Effects

Rum and sugar fueled the Atlantic slave trade

Coffee sped up the building of the railroad

Tobacco provided money for the American Revolution

Works Citedhttp://technorati.com/lifestyle/article/new-study-drug-combos-can-be/

http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/sydneylife/2009/08/

http://www.discountcigarettesonline.org/

http://www.goodejuice.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=173

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_small_cup_of_coffee.JPG

http://www.lookwe.com/entouziyaInfo.asp?id=1

http://toxicopoeia.com/?get=plants&type=medicinal&plant=Papaver%20Somniferum

http://www.drug-facts.org/Morphine_Facts.htm

http://www.drug-rehabs.org/cocaine-drug-pictures.php

http://www.seylec.com/id29.html

http://destrantalk.blogspot.com/2010/09/transgender-health-brought-to-you-by.html

http://venturebeat.com/2010/11/24/sproxil-takes-on-africas-drug-counterfeiters/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joan_thewlis/2802351505/

http://www.healthhype.com/tag/tobacco

http://www.thegreenhead.com/2009/01/liquor-tasting-shot-glasses.php

http://www.britishbattles.com/american-revolution.htm

http://antibioticsandalcohol.com/

Courtwright, David T. Forces of Habit. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2001.