NCJ Number
126322
Date Published
1990
Length
19 pages
Annotation
During the 20th century, drug abusers have been variously regarded as people close to the mainstream of society, as criminals and pariahs, and, most recently, as clients of the health care system; drug treatment programs have gradually grown and increased in variety.
Abstract
At the turn of the century patent medicines were unregulated and widely used. However, concern about risks to public well-being led to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906 and the Harrison Act in 1914. Growing concern about inmate heroin addiction led to the establishment of narcotics treatment farms in Kentucky in 1935 and in Texas in 1938. In the 1950's, concern about addiction in urban populations led to the establishment of four types of treatment approaches: therapeutic communities, methadone maintenance, and outpatient drug-free treatment. Civil commitment programs were established in the 1960's. Treatment programming that used mental health strategies was developed in the late 1970's. Current issues include the impact of AIDS and the funding of treatment. In the future drug abuse treatment will probably follow two streams based on the presence or absence of intravenous drug use. 70 reference notes