In the middle part of the 20th century, tranquilizers in the benzodiazepine class were introduced. Chlordiazepoxide (Librium) was introduced to the market in 1960 and diazepam (Valium) was introduced in 1963. These drugs were popular drugs of abuse for about the next 10-15 years but have since largely fallen out of favor. They are still used as medications to treat individuals who have anxiety disorders. For example, in 1972, Valium was the first most popularly prescribed drug of any type of drug, and Librium was the third most popular drug. In 1975, when the popularity of these drugs peaked, it is estimated that 85 million prescriptions were written in the United States.

The primary users were women and some experts say that doctors were too ready with their prescription pads, just as they were generous providers of laudanum and morphine to females in the late 19th century.

Nancy Reagan, wife of President Ronald Reagan, launched an antidrug campaign in 1985, with the slogan "Just say no." Although it was much ridiculed, the campaign did draw attention to the problems associated with drug abuse and addiction. Some experts believe it was the emergence of crack cocaine that led to the escalation of a drug war by the federal government, as exemplified by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. This law increased the role of the military in controlling drugs at the federal level and created mandatory prison sentences for drug offenders.

In 1986, President Reagan sought to get drugs out of the workplace and schools, making them "drug-free," and initiated the drug testing of some government workers in sensitive occupations. This decision was attacked by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups, but drug testing has remained firmly entrenched in the United States to this day for many workers, students, and prospective employees.

Crack cocaine was of particular concern to law enforcement officials in the 1980s, and the penalties for the use or sale of this drug were severe, prompting some experts to wonder aloud why the sale or possession of crack cocaine was punished far more assiduously than was that of powdered cocaine, also an addicting drug. Some experts speculated racial issues were present, because most abusers of crack at that time were African Americans, while the majority of abusers of powdered cocaine were white.

In the latter part of the 20th century, it became increasingly popular for adolescents and young adults to attend all-night dance parties, also called raves, at which drugs were freely available. Marijuana, methamphetamine, and many other drugs were routinely bought and sold at these events, as were hallucinogenic drugs: methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA/Ecstasy), phencyclidine (PCP), LSD, and others. Eventually, law enforcement authorities cracked down on these functions, which became less common. However, it is still possible for adolescents and young adults to obtain illicit drugs from each other as well as from drug dealers.

References:

Levinthal, Charles F. "The History of Drug Use and Drug Legislation." In Drugs, Society, and Criminal Justice. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2006.

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