The document provides an overview of a class on drug and substance abuse policies in the US. It begins with asking students to turn off phones and outlines the agenda which includes discussing what is known about substance abuse, the history of federal drug policies, and a homework assignment to prepare for a deliberation on policies. The main content reviews the brief history of federal policies around tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and heroin and discusses the current state of each drug's use and policies. It concludes by asking students to consider how state vs federal conflicts have impacted substance abuse and how current policies match the danger of each drug.

1. Please have your cell phones shut off and put
away. Thank you.
Agenda
Attendance
THE WAR ON DRUGS
1. What do you know about drug and substance abuse in
the US? Complete a questionnaire and discuss.
2. A brief history and review of existing Federal Drug
Policies
Next class assignment: Be prepared for Over
the Edge Deliberation

2. What do we know about
substance abuse?
Take the substance abuse
questionnaire.
Grade yourself:
11-13 You know the score.
7-10 You need a brush up
6 or less. Become
informed.
Let’s discuss. What fact(s)
surprised you the most?

3. A Historical Perspective
As we examine the past and the existing
federal policies around these 4 drugs, think
about the 3 different policy options you read
about in the Booklet Over the Edge.
Four Drugs & Federal Policies

4. Until the early 1900s Tobacco use was considered
good for your health.
Tobacco/Nicotine

5. A Brief History of Federal Tobacco Policy
 Nicotine in tobacco is
the third most
addictive drug after
heroin and crack
cocaine.
 In 1944, the Cancer
Society warned of a
link between smoking
and cancer.

6. A Brief History of Federal Tobacco Policy
 In 1964, the link was
shown to be true.
 In 1966, the Federal
Cigarette and
Tobacco Labeling
Act was passed by
Congress.

7. A Brief History of Federal Tobacco Policy
 In 1990, smoking
was banned on
interstate buses and
domestic plane
flights crossing
state lines.
 Note: The federal
government cannot
regulate smoking
inside a state.

8. A Brief History of Federal Tobacco Policy
 In 1995, further
regulation of sales and
advertising to minors was
put into place.
 In 2009, the Family
Smoking Prevention and
Tobacco Control Act
established tobacco
standards and tightened
labeling & restrictions on
marketing.

9. A Brief History of Federal Tobacco Policy
 Since 1940s, the
percent of people
smoking has
decreased by
almost ½.
 Smoking remains
the largest cause
of preventable
deaths.
 42.1 million US
adults still smoke

10. Alcoholic beverages have been made since the
Neolithic period over 12,000 years ago.
Alcohol

11. A Brief History of Alcohol Policies
Alcohol is one of the
most addictive drugs
and withdrawal is the
most severe, often
leading to death.
Controlling alcohol
consumption has long
been a hard-fought
over battle in the US.
.

12. A Brief History of Alcohol Policies
 1794 Whiskey
Rebellion: Farmers
rebelled against the
Federal excise taxes
placed on whiskey to help
pay for the cost of the
Revolutionary War. The
rebellion was put down,
but the tax remained
difficult to collect. It was
repealed in 1801.

13. A Brief History of Alcohol Policies
 In the 1780s the
Temperance
Movement begins
with Benjamin
Rush’s article on the
ill effects of alcohol.
This movement
persisted through
the 1800s, growing
in strength.

14. A Brief History of Alcohol Policies
 It didn’t work
because poor
water sources and
advertising
fostered the
drinking of
alcoholic
beverages even by
children as a
healthful practice.
Fighting back: Temperance
workers built public fountains.

15. A Brief History of Alcohol Policies
 Eventually, political
pressure & women
gaining the right to
vote produced
Prohibition: In 1920,
the 18th Constitutional
Amendment was
passed prohibiting the
sale and use of
alcoholic beverages
leading to widespread
bootlegging.

16. A Brief History of Alcohol Policies
 In 1933, the 21st
Amendment was
passed because
prohibition led to
crime, was hard to
enforce, and most
importantly, reduced
federal tax revenues.

17. Results of Federal Alcohol Policies
There are no Federal
policies. Legal drinking
age is set by the states:
Alcohol use remains very
high especially in the 12-
20 age group.
In 2005, about 10.8 million persons
ages 12-20 reported drinking
alcohol in the past month. Nearly
7.2 million were binge drinkers, and
2.3 million were heavy drinkers.
Today 24 % of over eighteens
drink 5 or more drinks a day.
About 50,000 people die every
year due to alcoholism or traffic
deaths

18. Originating in Asia, marijuana has been used for over 12,000 years. It is
thought to be the first cultivated crop. Early use was for medicine and for
spiritual purposes.
Marijuana

19. A Brief History of Marijuana Policies
 Marijuana is the most
commonly used drug in the
US.
 In the 1700s and 1800s
hemp cultivation was
encouraged by the
government. It was sold
openly and used widely in
patent medicines. Hashish
use became a fad.

20. A Brief History of Marijuana Policies
 In 1906, marijuana
became regulated under
the Pure Food and Drug
Act. This act set in place
testing for purity, labeling
for addictive medications,
and the requirement for
prescriptions to be filled
by a license pharmacist.

21. A Brief History of Marijuana Policies
 In 1937, after an effective
public campaign against
the drug which became
associated with
criminals, the
government passed the
Marijuana Tax Act which
limited use to doctors
and for industrial
purposes, such as rope.

22. A Brief History of Marijuana Policies
 By 1952, marijuana
because of its
association with
criminals, became
lumped with other
drugs under the
Boggs Act and the
Narcotics Control Act
of 1956, which
established mandated
prison sentences.
Ex.: 1st offense 2-10 years
& $20,000 fine

23. A Brief History of Marijuana Policies
 During the 60s and 70s
enforcement lessened.
Congress repealed
mandatory sentencing
and separated marijuana
from the harder drugs.

24. A Brief History of Marijuana Policies
 Public opinion swung again
in the 1980s, and the 1984
Anti-Drug Abuse Act re-
established mandatory
sentences and punished
marijuana use as harshly
as more addictive drugs.
Ex. Possession of 100
marijuana plants got the
same penalty as having
100 grams of heroin.

25. Result of Marijuana Policies
 Currently many states are legalizing marijuana use
especially for medical purposes. However its possession
and use is still illegal under Federal Law. Currently, there
is a decriminalizing law pending in Congress. 94 million
Americans have admitted using marijuana at least once.

26. Heroin is the most addictive of all drugs.
Heroin

27. A Brief History of Heroin Policies
 In 1898, a German dye
company produced a
new chemical from the
milky juice of the opium
poppy that they named
Heroin, meaning
powerful medicine.
Prescribed in place of
morphine or codeine it
was soon found to be
even more addictive.

28. A Brief History of Heroin
Policies
 Britain and Germany
quickly regulated the
drug. But in the US,
individual states had
different laws, many
quite lax. By 1900, over
a quarter of a million
American were addicted.

29. A Brief History of Heroin
Policies
 In 1906, the federal
mandatory labeling
required by Pure Food
and Drug Act revealed
addictive opiates in
many patent medicines
including those for
babies. The public was
outraged.

30. A Brief History of Heroin
Policies
 In 1914, the Harrison Act
used the federal power to
tax to finally regulate the
use of opiates in
medicines.
 Addicts quickly turned to
black market sources. In
1917, Bellevue Hospital
began treating addicts
using illicit heroin. Most
were young in their late
teens and early twenties.

31. A Brief History of Heroin
Policies
 In 1924, Congress banned
all manufacture of heroin
in the US. With no other
source, addicts turned to
the black market and
dependency on the
underworld of crime.
4.2 million people say they
have used heroin at least
once.

32. State vs Federal Policies
To think about:
 How have
conflicting state
and federal
policies affected
substance
abuse?
 How do existing
policies match the
danger of the
drug?

33. Next Class: Thursday 9/24
 Come prepared to participate in the Alcohol
and Drug Deliberation. Be sure to have
read the Booklet Over the Edge and
thought about your position. In determining
your position consider which of the historic
policies we just viewed did or didn’t work.
 Reminders:
 Policy Paper topic choice due Oct. 8
 Have you attended a local government meeting or
Common Hour event yet?