A Brief History of Drugs

An overview of drug policy and usein the United States from the

mid-1800s to the present

Drug Scheduling(http://www.usdoj.ov/dea/pubs/scheduling.html)

• Schedule I– high potential for abuse– no currently accepted medical use in treatment in U. S.– lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.– examples: Gamma hydroxy butyrate (GHB), heroin, Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD),

marijuana, 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA/Ecstasy).

• Schedule II– high potential for abuse.– currently accepted medical use in treatment in U. S. – abuse may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.– examples: cocaine, methadone, methamphetamine, morphine, phencyclidine (PCP).

• Schedule III– potential for abuse less than Schedules I and II. – currently accepted medical use in treatment in U.S. – abuse may lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence. – examples: anabolic steroids, codeine, ketamine, Marinol, some barbiturates

Drug Scheduling (cont.)• Schedule IV

– low potential for abuse relative to Schedule III.

– currently accepted medical use in treatment in U.S.

– abuse may lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to Schedule III.

– examples: fenfluramine, Halcion, Meridia, Rohypnol, Valium.

• Schedule V– as Schedule IV but less dangerous

– examples: buprenorphine, over-the-counter cough medicines with codeine.

Alcohol and nicotine are not scheduled drugs.

Neither is salvia divinorum.

Scheduling Process• Proceedings may be initiated by

– Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)– Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)– Any interested party (drug manufacturer, medical society, public interest

group, individual citizen)• Criteria

– potential for abuse– currently accepted medical use in the US – international treaties.

• DEA (legal) HHS (scientific/medical) FDANIDApublicDEA• Exceptions to process

– International treaties– "to avoid an imminent hazard to the public safety"

...Drug Trade

• International illicit drug business: $400B, 8% of international trade

– Drug profit margins up to 300%.

– Interdiction intercepts 10-15% of heroin, 30% of cocaine.

– Estimated 75% of international drug shipments would need to be intercepted to substantially reduce the profitability of drug trafficking.

• Profits for pharmaceutical companies 1970-1998 = $81B

• Sales for herbal medications = $4B

Drug Use in U.S. in 2000-07 (age 12+)

Alcohol: 104 million (46.6%)

Tobacco: 65.5 million (29.3%)

Illicit Drugs: 17.0 million (6.3%)

Cost of Substance Abuse - 2008

Past Month Illicit Drug Use by Age: 1999-2001

• Increases for youths aged 12-17 and for 18-25 year olds– Increases for marijuana, cocaine, heroin,

hallucinogens, pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and methamphetamine

• No changes for 26-34 year olds and for 35 and older adults. – Slight declines noted in LSD and

metamphetamine use

Drug Use (2002-2007)

Drug Use in 12-17 year olds

Marijuana Use

Illicit Drugs vs. Other Harms

• 5 times as many people die from alcohol each year (100K) as from illicit drugs and misuse of legal pharmaceuticals (20K)

• 15 times as many people die from poor diets and activity patterns (300K)

• 20 times as many people die from tobacco (400K)

Drug War...• More than 80% of increase in federal

prison population from 1985 to 1995 due to drug convictions, mostly possession

• Approximately $8.6 billion per year to keep drug offenders in prison

• War budget: ~$100 million in 1972, ~$20 billion in 2002

• Approximately 2/3 of budget goes to law enforcement, 1/3 to treatment

– > 1.5 million people arrested on drug charges each year (400K in prison)

Federal anti-drug spending, 1981-2009 (in billions)

Percentage of drug arrests targeting

Share of possession arrests that are for

Drug offenders behind bars

Prison inmates getting drug treatment

Sources: Bureau of Justice Statistics; Department of Justice; FBI; ONDCP