Tracing the origin of drug abuse

While the whole world is constantly on alert on an entire array of problems and issues of varying consequences such as poverty, population explosion, environment related problems, fundamentalist terrorism among many others, people often tend to overlook a severe and yet often ignored issue which may not have an immediate implication but can have grave consequences in the future and can harm society in more than one way. Drug abuse has been a source of problem for the advanced and the developed as well as the backward third world nations and societies equally whose roots lie deep in to the collective conflicts of the different strata of the community.

While the entire story of abuse of drugs and other intoxicants and substances, their treatment and the rehabilitation programs are a few things that people often associate only with the US, the fact still remains however debated at times that the entire idea of using certain compounds like amphetamines, opium alkaloids and barbiturates among many others and certain synthetic chemicals for the purposes of liberation of mind and hallucinating psychedelic experiences actually originated in the European continent in the late 19th or the early 20th century as a part of certain art movements. It is however also true that the entire practice very soon found its way to the other side of the Atlantic and it is as early as the early 1900s that certain medical reports in the US reveal detailed analytical studies about drug abuse which identified certain symptoms caused due to use of such substances leading often to more complicated sociopathic disturbances or disorders.

By the end of the third decade of the 20th century major medical, social and psychological institutions in USA have definitely identified substance or drug abuse not only as a major potential medical problem but also a serious social issue. This led to a major wave all over the country about taking measures against this potential social evil and over the years various steps have been taken like availing these illegal substances only on the grounds of medical prescription and making laws which restrict the illegal storage of these substances. There are numerous NGO’s who have been waging a constant war against these anti social elements.