The American Disease: Origins of Narcotic Control (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780195125092)

The American Disease is a classic study of the development of drug laws in the United States. Supporting the theory that Americans' attitudes toward drugs have followed a cyclic pattern of tolerance and restraint, author David F. Musto examines the relationz between public outcry and the creation of prohibitive drug laws from the end of the Civil War up to the present.

Originally published in 1973, and then in an expanded edition in 1987, this third edition contains a new chapter and preface that both address the renewed debate on policy and drug legislation from the end of the Reagan administration to the current Clinton administration. Here, Musto thoroughly investigates how our nation has dealt with such issues as the controversies over prevention programs and mandatory minimum sentencing, the catastrophe of the crack epidemic, the fear of a heroin revival, and the continued debate over the legalization of marijuana.

Author: David F. Musto
ISBN-10: 0195125096
ISBN-13: 9780195125092
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Language: English
Published: 04/22/1999
Pages: 432
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.23lbs
Size: 8.83h x 5.24w x 1.07d

Review Citation(s):
New York Times 08/08/1999 pg. 24