Demons: Our changing attitudes to alcohol, tobacco, and drugs

by Virginia Berridge

Binge drinking, particularly in young women, has become big news. Debates about the regulation and classification of cannabis are frequently voiced. Cigarette smoking is banned in public places, and emotive public health campaigns seek to reduce its use still further. Yet there are many sides to each of these arguments, and if we look back over the last 150 years, we see massive variety in the ways societies and states have related to drugs, drink, and tobacco.

Virginia Berridge offers a much-needed long view, which helps illuminate our current concerns, and shows how three separate stories overlap and inter-connect. She takes us to the socially-acceptable opium dens of Dickens's London; to the absinthe craze of fin-de-siecle Paris. She asks whether prohibition in America proved to be helpful or harmful. She looks at how tobacco was promoted as a medicinal benefit. She considers the medical use of cannabis, LSD, and other drugs. And through all this, she traces the changes in scientific and medical knowledge.

This is a complex story of whether, and how, the state should intervene. How do we balance the interests of personal freedom, public well-being, healthcare, and the economy? Is substance abuse a social issue, or a medical one? As governments, health services, and the World Health Organisation grapple with these issues, the wisdom and experience of history can help map the way forward.

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Virginia Berridge, FRHistS, HonFRCP, FAcSS is a British academic historian and public health expert. She is a Professor of History and Director of the Centre for History in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Reviews

[Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book but it cuts into alot of themes regarding drugs and alcohol. This makes the book really hard to read bevause of the overload of (irrelevant) information. The main idea of the book gets lost sometimes because of this information but seeps through when you continue reading the book. Perhaps this is a book you should read twice so you can understand the book better.

[Martijn Krol · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book has a very interesting subject, and gives intriguing insights into the topic of the historical culture surrounding drugs, alcohol and tobacco since the beginning of modern history. However, the material is incredibly dense and sometimes it feels like you have to plough through many abrieviations, government bills and doctor's names to get to the heart of the matter.

[Ronnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here me out. A very loud HUZZAH AND SHOUT OUT FOR LEOMINSTER PUBLIC LIBRARY for having gotten this book. Berridge does an immense work at elucidating the maelstrom of this confusing amalgam /trinity. It's at times sobering(I agree it's a poor choice of words) depressing and heartbreaking to be brought up to speed on the machinations of Gov'ts & Industry
with regards to the usage of this triumvirate of use. It is enlightening as the author points out the source and redirections of past governmental and health decrees re their usage. At times it's startling at how slow and backwards healthcare has been re their usage. Alcohol....Tobacco...Drugs.....yes they are the Demons of human.....but the enablers of the Demons are the ones who create them.....and sell them.....Licit and illicit drugs......it is head shaking to realize that the legalization of Alcohol after Prohibition occurred as the US GOVT saw an income producer from taxes as a response to the recession. The opposite traveling of Tobacco and Alcohol is dizzyingly informative. The tortuous path of information re licit vs illicit drugs is a real hoot. Sometimes as I was reading this book there were moments of deja vous when I would read articles in newspapers or journals that parroted what had been said in the 20's/30's......I am of the mind that the Tobacco Companies should foot the bill for Cancer treatments....Asthma treatments...all disorders r/t to tobacco use.....I cannot recommend enough of this book. Read it....Shiver....And ponder the inevitable. It is a real horror story......Ronnie