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.
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