Dr. A. C. Santucci
DrugUse and Abuse
Legislative Acts Regarding Drug Distribution and Use
1906 - Pure Food and Drug Act - required honest labels regarding the content
of the drug but did not require honest information regarding therapeutic effects
1909 - Opium importation is outlawed - outlawed the importation of opium for
smoking
1912 - Sherley Amendent - protected against false therapeutic claims
1914 - Harrison Narcotics Act - was the first comprehensive Federal anti-drug
law directed mainly at regulating illicit drugs
1920 - Prohibition enacted - alcohol prohibition enacted with the passage of the
18th Amendment
1930 - Establishment of Federal Bureau of Narcotics - Federal agency
responsible for the enforcement of Federal drug-related laws; is now known,
since 1973, as Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
1933 - Prohibition repealed - alcohol prohibition repealed with the passage of
the 21st Amendment
1937 - Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 - As with the Harrision Narcotic Act, this Act
did not ban marijuana, but instead required authorized producers, manufacturer,
importers, and dispensers of marijuana to register themselves and pay a yearly
license fee.
1938 - Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act - required toxicity testing of drugs
1951 - Humphrey-Durham Amendment - required the "legend" drug label on
drug containers
1962 - The thalidomide disaster - a drug given to pregnant women to reduce
the nausea of "morning sickness;" this drug produced severe deformities of the
limbs; thalidomide's teratogenicity promoted regulations requiring new drugs to
be screened for effects on the developing fetus
1963 - Community Mental Health Centers Act - help to establish communitybased treatment centers; one of the first legislative acts to focus its attention on
treatment
1965 - Drug Abuse Control Amendment - regulated non-narcotic drugs such
as stimulants, depressants, and hallucinogenic substances; this represented a
shift away from narcotics
Dr. A. C. Santucci
DrugUse and Abuse
1966 - Narcotic Rehabilitation Act - focused on the rights of addicted people to
receive treatment and rehabilitation; along with the Community Mental Health
Centers Act, was one of the first legislative acts to focus its attention on
treatment
1970- Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act (more
commonly known as the Controlled Substances Act) - the most
comprehensive law regulating drug distribution and use; focused mainly on drugs
with abuse potential; all current-day laws regarding regulating drug
manufacturing, use, etc. stems from this act
1986 - Anti-Drug Abuse Act - increased many of the penalties established
under the Controlled Substances Act, particularly those for drug trafficking
1986 - Controlled Substances Analogue Enforcement Act - allowed for the
immediate classification of a substance as a controlled substance
1988 - Chemical Diversion and Trafficking Act - gives the DEA authority to
monitor and regulate the distribution of chemical substances and other
equipment (e.g., tabulating machines, encapsulating machines, etc.) needed for
the preparation of illegal drugs