Recreational drug use
Recreational drug use is the use of psychoactive drugs for recreational rather than medical or spiritual purposes, although the distinction is not always clear. Regardless of medical supervision, this label does not apply to the use of drugs for utilitarian purposes, such as the relief of fatigue or insomnia, or the control of appetite.
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2 Legal aspects 3 Drugs popularly used recreationally 4 See also 5 External Links |
The oldest and most widespread use has been the imbibation of alcohol. Beer and wine were produced in Persia and in the Mediterranean before recorded history. Nicotine, the psychoactive constituent of tobacco, was first used by Europeans in the sixteenth century, but was used recreationally in Asia and in the Americas centuries prior. Despite relatively recent proscription as an illegal drug in much of the world, cannabis retains its historical popularity.
Recreational use of opium (extracted from the immature fruits of a species of poppy) was once common in Asia, and from there spread to the West. Its use peaked in the 19th century, when Britain and other Western powers even used military power to force China to legalize its import from India and other British colonies (see Opium Wars). Cocaine and heroin were sold as patent medicines in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and marketed as treatments for a wide variety of ailments.
Many other substances were once commonly used as recreational drugs, but fell from favor for various reasons. Islam forbids the consumption of alcoholic beverages, and many religions discourage the recreational use of drugs. In the 20th century some Western countries, notably the United States, have criminalized the use of many recreational drugs, and used diplomatic, economic and military pressure on other countries to do the same. Thus, for example, the Japanese hemp plant — once widely grown as a source of textile fiber — was wiped out during the American occupation after World War II, and today only survives in a handful of strictly controlled bio-conservation plots.
This attitude stands in marked contrast to the official policy of the United States government, which declared a "War on Drugs" under President Richard Nixon in 1972 which later intensified under Ronald Reagan. The United States is much more strict about enforcing penalties for soft drug use. The Drug Enforcement Agency, or DEA, is primarily responsible for illegal drug interdiction at the federal level. Despite the application of billions of dollars of taxpayer money to this perceived problem, recreational drug use remains common in the United States, and according to some studies is actually more common than in Europe where the laws are more relaxed. Some theorize that this is because the very prohibition of illegal recreational drugs adds an aura of mystique to their use, and encourages experimentation.
Many societies have abandoned what they feel are unsuccessful attempts to prohibit recreational drugs, and instead turned to a policy of harm reduction by informing users of ways to reduce common risks associated with popular drugs, and providing medical assistance for drug users who wish to stop using drugs.
Harm reduction is the official policy of the Netherlands and some areas of Canada such as Vancouver, which have stopped actively prosecuting end users of recreational drugs.
Instead, law enforcement efforts focus on capturing illegal dealers of "hard drugs" such as heroin and cocaine, passing out clean needles to IV drug users, and providing medical assistance for addicted users who wish to stop taking drugs.
Other substances often used for recreational purposes follow:
History
The recreational use of drugs has been popular throughout human history.Legal aspects
In many cases, the possession and use of common recreational drugs violates the law. This attitude is most prevalent in western Europe, see Drug policy of the Netherlands, and more recently in Canada, where enforcement of extant legal penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana and other so-called "soft drugs" such as hallucinogenic mushrooms is increasingly ignored or given a low priority by law enforcement officials.Drugs popularly used recreationally
The drugs most popular for recreational use worldwide are alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine.See also
External Links