Worst Addictions by Decade, And How They Were Treated

Throughout history, there have been people in society who have battled various addictions to illicit substances that can alter states of the mind, or change physical processes in the body. Although the drugs and substances that have been popular at different times have evolved through the years, their damaging effects have remained the same.

Treatment for addiction has also changed throughout the decades as different drugs require different medical procedures to combat them. This article will look at the strongest drug addictions of each decade since 1910.

1910s

Before 1910, many drugs that are now class-A were legal, and used in products. Heroin was even sold in drug stores as a cure for the common cough. The 1910s saw many measures to counteract the easy availability of drugs, such as the US government suing Coca-Cola in 1911 for using cocaine in its drinks, something which was legal previously.

Dr. Harvey Wiley, a champion of the anti-drugs brigade that put forth the first measures of the Pure Food and Drug Act, was equally adamant that caffeine was a force of evil in society, stating, “This country is full of tea and coffee drunkards,” and that “I would not give my child coffee or tea any more than I would give him poison.”

The Postum Cereal Company came up with a product that was distributed to doctors during this period to help fight caffeine and tea addiction made from wheat and molasses.

1920s

Towards the end of the decade, a strong feeling in society emerged that cigarettes and alcohol were the gateway to harder addictions like opium, leading the US government to implement the famous 18th Amendment in 1919, banning all alcoholic drinks.

The punishment for drinking alcohol was often jail sentences, although there were also many designated public institutions set up for the treatment of alcohol abuse. Indeed, doctors were still allowed to prescribe hard liquors such as whiskey and brandy for their medicinal benefits, although this had to be done via a special prescription pad, and through registered healthcare professionals.

Of course, the banning of alcohol did not remove it completely from the streets, where drinkers could congregate in a dedicated ‘speakeasy.’ The absence of alcohol also caused many to switch to harder substances; for example, those that smoked opium would begin injecting morphine.

1930s

Throughout the 1920s, the use of marijuana that was brought into the country by Mexican immigrants began to escalate, due to the banning of alcohol. However, while prohibition was repealed in 1933, and alcohol was once again made legal, marijuana use continued to grow.

This prompted the government to deter people from using the drug, and it released the anti-smoking film Reefer Madness, showing the effects of irresponsible marijuana use to be insanity, reckless driving, and even rape.

The Nazi government of Germany was the first political party to make the link between smoking and lung cancer in 1939, further putting people off using the drug.

1940s

With many of the measures implemented in the previous decade, such as the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act that pretty much banned the legal sale of the drug, the use of marijuana and other drugs began to steadily decline in the run-up to the 50s.

Whether this was due to effective measures from the government, or the fact that many young men were involved during the war, is not certain. However, during this period the ‘old favorites’ of coffee and nicotine began to become prominent once more, with Hollywood promoting cigarettes in the John Wayne film The Sands of Iwo Jima.

1950s

The 50s saw many changes to the tobacco industry, most notably the fight between scientists and cigarette companies, concerning the dangers of smoking. Marlboro, a brand of cigarettes previously targeted at women, was re-branded to be aimed at men.

In 1954, 450 tobacco companies formed a consortium and placed ads in national newspapers challenging the findings of scientists, that smoking causes cancer, stating that, “These experiments are not regarded as conclusive.”

However, the death of Humphrey Bogart, a prominent smoker, of lung cancer did little to aid their cause. Heroin was also a problem in the 50s, being the drug with the highest levels of arrest by State Police, while LSD, invented by accident two decades before, began to be used more frequently.

1960s

The 60s was the decade of rebellion, particularly among students and young people fueled by dislike of their government’s policies on sex, war, and particularly, drugs. Marijuana use spiraled out of control in this decade, and many of the soldiers involved in the Vietnam War conflict took psychedelic drugs on a regular basis.

LSD use began to increase heavily. In fact, the inventor of LSD, Dr. Albert Hoffman, felt saddened by the government’s policies on the narcotic, and saw its eventual ban as a backlash against the people’s uprising, rather than a decision made due to the danger it poses to people’s health.

Drug treatment in the 60s was relatively low, as the taking of drugs was seen as an act of rebellion against the oppressive state, and in such a climate, few chose to seek help for dangerous levels of addiction.

1970s

Nixon’s administration of the 70s began to fight back against the drug culture the previous years had given birth to. His famous War on Drugs Campaign was started in 1971, stating that, “If we cannot destroy the drug menace, then it will destroy us.”

He also set up the Drug Enforcement Agency, or DEA, in 1973, a special government operation designed specifically to tackle the use of drugs and their effects on society.

However, drug abuse was still a problem, and the 70s saw the increased use of PCP, a hallucinogen that causes body dysmorphia, and in time, acute neurological damage.

1980s

Crack was the major social issue of the 80s. Freeway Ricky, a drug dealer from LA, first came up with the idea of smoking cocaine in small packets called ‘Ready Rock.’ By the mid-80s, he was selling $1-2 million of crack every day, highlighting just how addictive the substance is—and how widespread its use had become.

Even celebrities were smoking crack, such as comedian Richard Pryor, who famously set himself on fire once when taking the drug. By 1986, in an attempt to combat the growing number of drug addicts, President Reagan had launched his Just Say No Campaign, aimed at discouraging young people from trying drugs of all kinds. Mandatory sentences for drug charges were also introduced in the same year.

1990s

Crack use continued to spiral into the 90s. One of the worst hit areas was New York City, were some 46% of arrests were made for crack offences, or by criminals using the drug. This also led to a huge breakout of HIV, where dirty needles that were being shared caused massive problems to the city’s infrastructure.

To treat the problem, the city embarked on a massive methadone treatment program, and also legalized the sale of clean needles by over-the-counter pharmacies. In the early 90s, over half the population of drug users had HIV; the measures the city took helped dropped this figure to 6% by 1995.

2000s

The new millennium saw a drop in the use of crack. However, many drugs still proved to be popular, with marijuana being the most widely used.

The drug was taken by around 76% of drug users in 2001, with 56% of these using marijuana on its own, and 20% using it in combination with other drugs. This use of marijuana continued in 2010, and looks set to be extended throughout the rest of this century.

Conclusion

Drug use has continued to be an element of society from before the 1900s. It seems that to lower the effects of drugs on society, we must both police them efficiently and offer treatments and alternatives to their use for addicts who cannot help themselves.