How Drug Addiction is Perceived

Time and change are two universal constants since time will continue to pass and change will happen despite efforts to the contrary. This essay will outline the change that occurs over a period of time, specifically looking at the change in how drug addiction is perceived and which drugs are reported on through the New York Times. The years used in examining this change will be 1926, 1954, and 1983.

In 1926, drug addiction was a heated subject at the time, with opium considered the prime drug evil. According to the New York Times, one of the biggest debates was the estimated number of addicts in the United States. A special committee, appointed by the U.S. Treasury Department had "made the most comprehensive survey of the drug addiction problem that had ever been made. . .[and] the number of drug addicts in the United States exceeds 1,000,000" (Says Drug Addicts. . ., 1926, n.p.). However, the U.S. Bureau of Public Health moved to suppress the report and reported that there were only 110,000 drug addicts in the U.S. at that time (Say Drug Addicts, 1926). Although t

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Category: Psychology - H