NCJ Number
110782
Date Published
1986
Length
24 pages
Annotation
A review of the historical patterns of juvenile drug use illustrates guideposts for the development of youth drug programs.
Abstract
In 1914, when the Harrison Act, which outlawed heroin and required controls on cocaine and opiates, was enacted, youthful drug users were conspicuously absent. In the 1920's, media attention on youthful marijuana use contributed to the passage of the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act, although there was little evidence that the drug's use was widespread among youth. By the end of the 1940's, youthful drug use again became a national issue, focusing on heroin use among inner city youth. Heroin use by youth continued to be a concern into the early 1960's, although use was limited to certain groups. The real increase in juvenile drug use began in the early 1960's and was spurred on by the burgeoning counterculture. For the first time in history there were prodrug advocates touting the experiences associated with the use of nonaddictive psychedelics. Even with the demise of the counterculture, drug use continued to increase, particularly among white youth. During the 1970's, drugs became almost equal in popularity with alcohol among young people, and despite the Federal 'war on drugs,' drug use became almost normalized. While future trends in juvenile drug use are difficult to predict, drug use in the 1980's appears to be declining. 43 references.