History of Cocaine and Opium
The history of opium and cocaine spans millennia, evolving from ancient medicinal and ritualistic use to widespread commercial products, and eventually leading to strict international controls and criminalization. Opium

• Ancient Use: The opium poppy was cultivated in lower Mesopotamia as early as 3,400 B.C., where the Sumerians called it "Hul Gil," the "joy plant". Its use spread to the Assyrians and Egyptians.
• Medicinal and Recreational Expansion: Knowledge of opium's medicinal properties was widespread by the 18th century. Along with laudanum (a mixture of alcohol and opium), it was used for a vast array of ailments including toothaches, coughs, and diarrhea. Soldiers returning from the Crusades (11th-13th centuries) helped introduce it to Europe, and by the 16th to 19th centuries, its consumption was common in the Ottoman Empire and Europe.
• Opium Wars and Regulation: The international opium trade expanded significantly during the 19th century, largely driven by the British who manufactured it in India and sold it to China. This imbalance of trade led to the Opium Wars in the mid-1800s. Growing concerns about abuse and the association of opium dens with Chinese immigrants in the US and Australia prompted early legislative efforts to control its distribution.
• Modern Era: In 1803, Friedrich Sertürner isolated morphine, the active ingredient in opium, from the poppy plant. This was followed by the isolation of codeine in 1832. The Harrison Anti-Narcotics Act of 1914 in the US and the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1920 in the UK formalized the shift towards prohibition and strict control, limiting use to legitimate medical practice. 

Cocaine

• Ancient Use: Natives of the Andes Mountains have chewed leaves from the coca plant (the source of cocaine's active ingredient) for at least fifteen centuries for medicinal and recreational purposes, a practice that continues today.
• Isolation and "Wonder Drug" Status: The pure alkaloid cocaine was first isolated by German chemist Albert Niemann in 1859. By the 1880s, European and American doctors hailed it as a "wonder drug," believing it could cure fatigue, headaches, and even morphine addiction.
• Widespread Popularization: Cocaine became an ingredient in everyday products. Dr. Theodor Aschenbrandt prescribed it to Bavarian soldiers to reduce fatigue, Sigmund Freud published Uber Coca praising it, and a Corsican chemist created "Vin Mariani," a popular coca wine. In 1886, John Pemberton’s "Coca-Cola" contained cocaine until it was removed around 1903.
• Criminalization: By the turn of the century, an estimated 200,000 cocaine addicts existed in the US, and public perception shifted as the drug was associated with crime and specific racial groups. This moral panic contributed to the drug's criminalization under the Harrison Anti-Narcotics Act of 1914. Today, cocaine and its derivatives still have legitimate uses as local anesthetics for specific surgeries, particularly in ear, nose, and throat operations. 

The international community began efforts to restrict both substances at an international conference in the early 1900s, leading to agreements like the Hague Convention of 1912. Opium - WikipediaRecreational use in Europe, the Middle East and the US (11th to 19th centuries) ... Soldiers returning home from the Crusades in the 11th to 13th century brough

Wikipedia

Opium, Cocaine and Marijuana in American History (From Drugs, Crime, and Justice: Contemporary Perspectives, P 21-33, 1997, Larry K Gaines and Peter B Kraska, eds. -- See NCJ-165819)

NCJ Number 165820

Author(s) D F Musto.

Date Published 1997

Length 13 pages

AnnotationThe use of opium, cocaine, and marijuana is examined from a historical perspective, and the author believes America's recurrent enthusiasm for recreational drugs and subsequent campaigns for abstinence present a problem to both policymakers and the general public.AbstractUntil the 19th century, drugs were used in their natural form. For example, cocaine and morphine were available only in coca leaves or poppy plants that were chewed, dissolved in alcoholic beverages, or taken in some way that diluted the impact of the active agent. The advent of organic chemistry in the 1800's changed available forms of these drugs. By the 1850's, the hypodermic syringe was perfected and the pharmaceutical industry grew significantly. Americans, however, recognized potential dangers in continuous opium use long before the availability of morphine and the hypodermic syringe. Late in the 1800's, some States and localities enacted laws requiring a prescription for morphine. At the same time, health professionals developed more specific treatments for painful diseases, found less dangerous analgesics, and began to appreciate the addictive power of the hypodermic syringe. In the early 1900's, an international conference was convened and an agreement to restrict opium and coca production was reached. During the 1920's and 1930's, the opiate problem declined while international drug control efforts continued. Cocaine was identified as a serious problem in the early 1900's. Although marijuana was used in the 1930's, it did not become a widespread problem until the 1960's. Factors associated with variations in drug consumption over different historical time periods are examined, as well as public attitudes toward the drug problem and drug law enforcement. 6 references

https://www.drugfreeworld.ie/drugfacts/cocaine/a-short-history.html

 

What began as a religious tradition in the Andes has turned into abuse throughout the world.

Coca is one of the oldest, most potent and most dangerous stimulants of natural origin. Three thousand years before the birth of Christ, ancient Incas in the Andes chewed coca leaves to get their hearts racing and to speed their breathing to counter the effects of living in thin mountain air.

Native Peruvians chewed coca leaves only during religious ceremonies. This taboo was broken when Spanish soldiers invaded Peru in 1532. Forced Indian labourers in Spanish silver mines were kept supplied with coca leaves because it made them easier to control and exploit.

Cocaine was first isolated (extracted from coca leaves) in 1859 by German chemist Albert Niemann. It was not until the 1880s that it started to be popularised in the medical community.

Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. (Photo credits: Freud Museum Photo Library)

Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, who used the drug himself, was the first to broadly promote cocaine as a tonic to cure depression and sexual impotence.

In 1884, he published an article entitled “Über Coca” (About Coke) which promoted the “benefits” of cocaine, calling it a “magical” substance.

Freud, however, was not an objective observer. He used cocaine regularly, prescribed it to his girlfriend and his best friend and recommended it for general use.

While noting that cocaine had led to “physical and moral decadence,” Freud kept promoting cocaine to his close friends, one of whom ended up suffering from paranoid hallucinations with “white snakes creeping over his skin.”

He also believed that “For humans the toxic dose (of cocaine) is very high, and there seems to be no lethal dose.” Contrary to this belief, one of Freud’s patients died from a high dosage he prescribed.

In 1886, the popularity of the drug got a further boost when John Pemberton included coca leaves as an ingredient in his new soft drink, Coca-Cola. The euphoric and energizing effects on the consumer helped to skyrocket the popularity of Coca-Cola by the turn of the century.

From the 1850s to the early 1900s, cocaine and opium-laced elixirs (magical or medicinal potions), tonics and wines were broadly used by people of all social classes. Notable figures who promoted the “miraculous” effects of cocaine tonics and elixirs included inventor Thomas Edison and actress Sarah Bernhardt. The drug became popular in the silent film industry and the pro-cocaine messages coming out of Hollywood at that time influenced millions.

Cocaine use in society increased and the dangers of the drug gradually became more evident. Public pressure forced the Coca-Cola company to remove the cocaine from the soft drink in 1903.

By 1905, it had become popular to snort cocaine and within five years, hospitals and medical literature had started reporting cases of nasal damage resulting from the use of this drug.

In 1912, the United States government reported 5,000 cocaine-related deaths in one year and by 1922, the drug was officially banned.

In the 1970s, cocaine emerged as the fashionable new drug for entertainers and businesspeople. Cocaine seemed to be the perfect companion for a trip into the fast lane. It “provided energy” and helped people stay “up.”

At some American universities, the percentage of students who experimented with cocaine increased tenfold between 1970 and 1980.

In the late 1970s, Colombian drug traffickers began setting up an elaborate network for smuggling cocaine into the US.

Traditionally, cocaine was a rich man’s drug, due to the large expense of a cocaine habit. By the late 1980s, cocaine was no longer thought of as the drug of choice for the wealthy. By then, it had the reputation of America’s most dangerous and addictive drug, linked with poverty, crime and death.

In the early 1990s, the Colombian drug cartels produced and exported 500 to 800 tons of cocaine a year, shipping not only to the US but also to Europe and Asia. The large cartels were dismantled by law enforcement agencies in the mid-1990s, but they were replaced by smaller groups—with more than 300 known active drug smuggling organisations in Colombia today.

As of 2008, cocaine had become the second most trafficked illegal drug in the world.

Take the Quiz

1. European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, “State of the Drug Problem in Europe, 2008”
2. U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency Fact Sheet on Cocaine
3. National Institute on Drug Abuse: “NIDA Info Facts: Crack and Cocaine,” April 2008
4. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Drug Report 2008
5. “Cocaine Facts & Figures,” Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2008
6. “Monitoring the Future: National Results on Adolescent Drug Use Overview of Key Findings 2007,” National Institute on Drug Abuse

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Cocaine and opium production worldwide hit ‘absolute record highs’ - major threat to public health says UN study

Originally published by the UN News Centre

26 June 2018 - The scourge of opium-based drugs and cocaine are a bigger global threat to public health and law enforcement than ever before, according to the latest World Drug Report, released on Tuesday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The findings "show that drug markets are expanding, with cocaine and opium production hitting absolute record highs, presenting multiple challenges on multiple fronts," said UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov.

The 2018 Report provides an overview of the supply and demand of drugs as well as their impact on health.

The UN drug and crime fighting chief said the annual report was "a key pillar of our support, along with assistance to translate international obligations into action and capacity building on the ground to enable effective responses," he added, in order to "protect the health and welfare of humankind."

Beyond the production of the opium-based street drug heroin, pharmaceutically-produced opioids account for 76 per cent of non-medical, prescription drug deaths worldwide, with the powerful synthetic opioid Fentanyl an increasing problem in North America, and Tramadol a growing concern in parts of Africa and Asia.

Accessibility of both for medical use is vital for treating pain, but traffickers manufacture them illegally, causing considerable harm to health.

UNODC revealed that global seizures of pharmaceutical opioids in 2016 was 87 tons - with West, Central and North Africa accounting for the vast majority and Asian countries reporting just 7 per cent of the global total.

From 2016-2017, global opium production jumped by 65 per cent - the highest estimate recorded by UNODC since it started monitoring the drug's production at the start of this century.

The demographics

Turning to vulnerable age groups, the Report finds that drug use is highest among young people with research suggesting that 12- to 17-year-olds are at critical risk.

While the majority of people who misuse drugs are men, women have specific drug use patterns. The prevalence of non-medical opioids and tranquillizers is common to both, but women often begin abusing drugs at a later stage than men.

"UNODC is committed to working with countries to seek balanced, integrated solutions to drug challenges and achieve progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals," Mr. Fedotov underscored in the report.

UN chief weighs in on drug abuse

Secretary-General António Guterres also highlighted the dangers of growing drug abuse on Tuesday, saying that drug challenges are "among the most complex problems we face."

In his message to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, he emphasized that the impact of illegal drugs - including on families, communities and sustainable development - underscored the need for international cooperation and effective law enforcement, in accordance with international standards, to stop organized networks and drug traffickers.

Mr. Guterres stressed that drugs must be addressed with "a holistic focus across many fronts" while expanding evidence-based approaches to prevention, treatment and support.

The UN chief cited the outcome document adopted by the 2016 General Assembly Special Session on the world drug problem, which outlines concrete steps for taking balanced action, rooted in the principle of shared responsibility.

"It is also flexible enough to allow countries to pursue national drug policies according to their priorities and needs," he continued.

"I urge countries to advance prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration services; ensure access to controlled medicines while preventing diversion and abuse; promote alternatives to illicit drug cultivation; and stop trafficking and organized crime," said the Secretary-General, adding that all these steps "would make an immense contribution to our work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals."

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/2018/June/cocaine-and-opium-production-worldwide-hit-absolute-record-highs---major-threat-to-public-health-says-un-study.html?ref=fs2 

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