The Causes of Drug Addiction

The Causes of Drug Addiction

Introduction

Drug addiction as a social phenomenon is a relatively recent construct. That is, despite the use of psychoac-tive drugs for thousands of years, drug use and abuse only became a social problem when the functioning of a member of a particular group or the activities of the group itself became impaired through another's drug-taking behavior (Courtwright, 2001). Thus, the construct of drug addiction evolved through the interconnectedness and impact that one person's behavior has on another. Although the word addiction finds its roots in the Latin addic-tus, meaning “to deliver” or “to devote,” it was not until William Shakespeare modernized the word in Henry V that it took on a meaning similar to that of today. Still, Shakespeare's reference to addiction referred more to the king's predilections for theology than any drug use. Despite this evolution of the vernacular, the people of ancient Greece and Rome knew that many substances (e.g., opium) were capable of producing varying levels of dependence.

The rise of drug addiction as a significant global social problem began in the 17th century with the emergence of the opium trade between the Chinese and British Empires. Desperate to find a commodity to trade for Chinese tea, the British exported massive amounts of opium from India via the East India Trading Company. In the process, the British opium trade addicted a nation to the drug and eventually sparked two bloody wars, appropriately referred to as the Opium Wars. Trade also became the impetus for other notable drugs introduced to the masses. In fact, the trade of cocaine, tea and coffee (caffeine), and tobacco (nicotine) provided a considerable income for many countries with the ability to deliver these cash crops internationally. Thus, through global trade, many drug-naive populations were exposed to exotic mind-altering drugs.

Other significant changes during the Industrial Revolution also contributed to the global consumption of drugs. During the 19th century, more efficient drug delivery systems became available. For example, the invention of the hypodermic needle allowed for the delivery of morphine, a drug isolated from opium in 1805, in a manner other than by oral administration. Given the prevailing misconception during this era that drugs produced addiction only when administered through the mouth (as in the case of alcohol, nicotine, and snuff preparations of cocaine), the administration of drugs through a syringe lessened the population's anxiety about the addictive potential of newer drug derivatives that, in some cases, were much more potent. Further, industrialization and the ensuing mass production of drugs by a variety of pharmaceutical companies exposed individuals of limited economic means to substances that were once only available to the upper echelons of society. The addictive potential of these drugs now knew neither geographical boundary nor social class, resulting in pandemics of drug abuse.

Overview

As drug use increased across the social spectrum during the 19th and 20th centuries, so did the opposition to drug taking. Analysts suggest that this change in society's perception of drug use rested on several key ...