In 1884 American physicians discovered the anesthetic value of cocaine, and over the next three decades this substance derived from the coca plant became so popular that it became, ironically, a public health problem. Demand exceeded supply; abuse proliferated. The black market produced a legendary underground of "cocaine fiends." As attempts at regulation failed, Congress in 1914 banned cocaine outright, and America launched its longstanding war against now-illegal drugs. Challenging "traditional thinking about both the 'rise' and 'fall' of drug problems" (which makes legal prohibition the pivotal point in the story), Spillane examines phenomena that have eluded earlier students of drug history. He explores the role of American business in fostering consumer interest in cocaine during the years when no law proscribed its use, the ways in which authorities and social agents tried nonetheless to establish informal controls on the substance, and the mixed results they achieved. In asking how this pain-allaying drug became recognizably dangerous, how reformers tried to ameliorate its social effects, and how an underground of cocaine abusers developed even before regulation of the drug industry as a whole, Spillane discovers contingency, complication, and mixed motives. Arguing that the underground drug culture had origins other than in federal prohibition can tell us as we face questions about drug policy today.

About the Author
Joseph F. Spillane is an associate professor of criminology and history at the University of Florida.

Reviews
Joseph F. Spillane has written an immaculate monograph on the drug's early history in the United States of America. His use of archives and diverse other sources means that he writes with unparalleled authority. -- Richard Davenport-Hines Times Literary Supplement A new, detailed history, carefully crafted, and with reader-friendly summaries. -- John C. Burnham Journal of Social History This is a good piece of work, combining cogent ideas with a rich historical narrative. It is an important book for anyone interested in the complicated, interesting history of American drug use and control. -- Jerome L. Himmelstein American Historical Review Spillane's account... is nuanced, deeply researched, and highly original. -- David T. Courtwright Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the country's current 'War on Drugs.' Virginia Quarterly Review A fascinating, in-depth snapshot of 40 years in the early history of cocaine in the U.S. Choice Spillane provides an excellent account. A deeply impressive social history. -- Philip Jenkins Journal of American History This book provides a remarkably well-researched account... an outstanding contribution to drugs history. -- Griffith Edwards Addiction A new, detailed history, carefully crafted and with reader-friendly summaries. -- John C. Burnham Journal of Social History


Awards
Winner of CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title 2000 (United States).



Book Information
ISBN 9780801871160
Author Joseph F. Spillane
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Johns Hopkins University Press
Publisher Johns Hopkins University Press
Weight(grams) 386g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 13mm