Cocaine: Historical Uses And Modern Problems

Modern drug prohibitionists in the United States often assert that cocaine abuse

is a recent phenomenon, and that the changing American culture is to blame. Though the current methods for producing the drug may be modern, people were using the coca plant for various purposes long before this nation ever existed. Additionally, peoples throughout the world have used and developed addictions to cocaine and other coca derivatives for thousands of years, so the problem is not uniquely American. Overall, a better understanding of cocaines history will be more helpful in resolving issues of addiction than scapegoating a particular group of people.

Some of the earliest known uses of coca leaves occurred in powerful South American societies thousands of years ago. These people had many uses for the plant. Though they did use it recreationally - as many do today - they also chewed the leaves for their helpful stimulant effects. South Americans even used coca leaves for spiritual purposes, as well as for pain management during surgeries. Rather than stigmatize the coca plant, these societies revered it for its useful properties. It wasnt until Cortez led the Spanish to the continent that cocas vast use declined.

Use of the coca plant resurged in 1855 when a more modern form of cocaine was first synthesized from its leaves. Within thirty years, it was enormously popular in the United States and Europe, and even Thomas Edison is said to have been a strong supporter of its useful applications. Sigmund Freud, The Father of Psychology, also used cocaine to treat his own depression. The societal acceptance of cocaine paved the way for the widespread use of other powerful narcotics such as heroin and morphine. Unfortunately, this progression led to innumerable cases of addiction and even deaths by overdose.

To deal with this problem the United States government enacted one of the first measures of federal narcotics control with the Harrison Act in 1915. However, this new set of laws had little effect during the following half-century, and the 1960s saw widespread drug abuse like never before. In another attempt to control narcotics distribution and abuse, Congress passed the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act in 1970. Among other things, this act made it illegal to own, ship, distribute, sell, or synthesize cocaine. Although these laws included stiff fines and prison terms for offenders, the United States continues to suffer horrible drug problems to this day.

Cocaine use is still common, perhaps more so now than ever. A large and rapidly growing American population may be one cause. Thankfully, treatment for cocaine addicts is also far more readily available today than in the sixties and seventies. Rehabilitation clinics across the country successfully treat addiction cases with inpatient, outpatient, and partial hospitalization programs. Through evidence-based, reality, and cognitive behavioral therapies, addiction counselors guide addicts through the pain of withdrawal and help them develop strategies for dealing with their cravings. Many low-income addicts even have access to publicly-funded rehabilitation programs. If you or someone you love is struggling with cocaine abuse, call the number at the top of your screen for a free, confidential consultation.

by: Meerston Langdon

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