At first, poppy pods were used to prepare sleeping pills and sedatives, but later they began to use opium - dried milky juice from cut poppy pods.

The earliest information about the beginning of the history of opium dates back to the 5th millennium BC. e. In Persia, a description of the production and use of “poppy juice” has been preserved. In written sources of the end of the 3rd millennium BC. e. Sumerian state (the territory of the southern part of modern Iran) mentions the hypnotic effect of opium.

In Ancient Egypt, opium poppy was widely used 3.5 thousand years ago during the Bubastid rulers of the XXII dynasty. The German scientist Georg Ebers discovered an ancient Egyptian papyrus in 1873, which was later called the Ebers Papyrus. In this document, written 1500 BC. BC, almost 700 recipes were collected, many of which were based on opium. For example, a method for preparing the drug “spen” and using it to calm babies when crying is described. According to experts, this drug could not be anything other than an opiate.

In the Mediterranean in the 16th-13th centuries. BC e. Opium was already known. In the time of Homer (relatively between the 12th and 7th centuries BC) in medical practice it was used to “fix the stomach”, for narcotic purposes, as well as in religious rituals. In his works, Homer mentioned a drink that absorbs grief and gives oblivion of sorrows. The Iliad (9th century BC) reports on the cultivation of poppy crops to obtain opium. In the Odyssey, the sorceress Circe apparently drugged Odysseus and his companions with a tincture of opium, and the beautiful Helen, the wife of Menelaus, gave Telemachus a drug of opium: “She took care to pour into a suitable wine a drug that drowns out sorrow, drives away anxiety and erasing memories of all troubles." According to experts, this drink undoubtedly included opium.

In the 1st millennium BC. e. Latophagi (peoples who inhabited the coast of northern Africa), as well as the ancient Greeks, used opium tincture. As the chroniclers write, 900 BC. e. The “drink of oblivion” nepenthes (the opium drug of the ancient Greeks) was well known and widely used. The ancient Greek poet Hesiod (8th century BC) wrote in his works about poppy cultivation in Mekon (“Poppy City”), located in Corinth (Greece).

With the development of medicine, the need for effective painkillers has arisen. This need gave the opium story additional advantages. The “Father of Medicine,” the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates (460-377 BC), laid the foundation for the scientific approach to medicine. He was the first to deal a decisive blow to thaumaturgy (medicine based on magic). Studying the healing properties of plants, Hippocrates did not at all deny the need to use drugs to treat patients; moreover, on the contrary, he considered them important medicines. He widely used opium in his medical practice as an analgesic and sleeping pill. The philosopher and naturalist Theophrastus (372-287 BC), a student of Plato and Aristotle, was one of the first botanists of the ancient world. In his work “History of Plants” he describes plants with narcotic effects, mentioning opium, its action and cultivation. Theophrastus, one might say, was among the first in the ancient world who scientifically outlined the methods of cutting poppy pods to obtain milky juice and described its medicinal properties.

The ancient Greek physician and scientist Pedanius Dioscorides (1st century AD) outlined his observations of the medicinal effects of various plants and research in the book “On Healing Remedies.” In this book, Dioscorides describes narcotic plants and their properties, mentions opium and even distinguishes between the opium that flows from cutting the poppy heads and the opium obtained by boiling poppies. Dioscorides called poppy juice "meconine". From the juice of the opium poppy seed capsule, he obtained and studied the substance mekonion, described a syrup based on it, calling it “diacodum”. In some countries, until recently, the same drug called Diacode was on sale. The books of Dioscorides were translated into Arabic, they were studied by famous doctors Ibn Sina, Ibn Rushd and others. This scientist was very popular in the East almost until the 20th century.

IN Ancient Rome About 350 species of plants with narcotic properties were recognized for consumption. The Roman writer and statesman Marcus Porcius Cato (234-149 BC) and the Roman thinker-encyclopedist Marcus Terrentius Varro (116-27 BC) mentioned various narcotic plants in their works, including including about poppy, which was used in an opium-saffron tincture, a complex tincture of sabur, etc. Aulus Cornelius Celsus (25 BC - 50 AD), called the Roman Hippocrates, in his work “On medicine" wrote about the narcotic effects of poppy juice.

The Roman scientist and statesman Pliny the Elder (1st century AD), a contemporary of Dioscorides, kept a long list of medicinal plants that cured various diseases or caused mental disorders - hallucinations, disorders of consciousness. Pliny wrote about the use of poppy in medicinal purposes, and also described how the Romans inhaled plant smoke through the stalk of sugar cane to treat illnesses or to improve their mood and get rid of sadness. The Roman writer and agronomist Lucius Columella (1st century AD) wrote in his works about the method of obtaining and growing poppy crops for the purpose of making medicines or drugs. But at this time - in the 1st century. n. e. - preference was given not to research, but to compilations of the encyclopedic type. For example, Pliny the Elder in his “Natural History” used 2000 works of 500 authors. Court physician of Emperor Julian Oribasius in the 4th century. n. e. compiled a detailed medical encyclopedia in which he mentioned opium in the treatment of various diseases.

How did the spread of opium occur in other regions of the world? Even the troops of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) brought opium, the technique of its extraction and the method of use to the areas of their conquests - Asia Minor, Mesopotamia. Thus, opium spread from West to East - from the Mediterranean to Asia Minor, Persia, India and China. However, there are other Persies, according to which the cradle of opium is China and India or Egypt.

Persia, at the peak of its prosperity, was shopping center and a major opium consumer. The works of Pliny the Elder describe the use of opium by the Persians in the treatment of patients. From the work of the great Persian-Tajik poet Abulqasim Ferdowsi (c. 940-1020 or 1030), we can conclude that the first caesarean section for a woman in labor was performed under narcotic anesthesia with opium.

Spreading to the East, opium in the X-XI centuries. used by such Arab doctors as Abu Bekr Raziy, Ibn Sina, Ibn Roshd. The conquests of the Arabs contributed to the further spread of opium.

If we proceed from the theory of the spread of opium from the west, then it could have been brought to India in the 6th century. BC e. by the troops of the Persian king Darius Hystaspes, in the 4th century. BC e. - Alexander the Great and other conquerors. India was the first country to export incense and narcotic substances to other countries.

In the 17th century opium was actively used in India in the treatment of swamp fever, in addition, it was also used as a typical narcotic. From 1600, the East India Company (1600-1858), subsidized by the state, began to take control of all Anglo-Asian trade, including the opium trade. However, after this company took over opium production in Bengal, from the last quarter of the 18th century. drug smuggling began. Opium became widespread in India during the colonial British rule, when most English doctors encouraged moderate smoking of opium, praising it for its stimulating effect, the appearance of sociability under its influence and other properties.

At the International Opium Conference in 1925, a resolution was presented demanding that the worldwide trade in opium be limited to medical and scientific needs only. The resolution was signed by Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi. At the outbreak of World War II, India produced 12,000 tons of opium per year. Opium addiction in India was widespread not only among men, but also among women - 20% of opium addicts admitted for treatment were women. Sometimes families were hospitalized, even with their children. Although India was a major producer of opium, it was consumed in much smaller quantities than in China. At the same time, opiophagy (use of opium pills or infusions) prevailed over opiate smoking. The limited use of opium in India can be explained by the high prices for it and the greater profits of the colonialists from the export of opium than from sales within the country. In India, opiate smoking was banned by law in 1946.

The ancient handwritten Chinese book “On Healing Herbs,” written during the reign of Emperor Shen-Nun, indicates a large number of herbs with narcotic effects of Asian origin, which can be explained by the tropical and subtropical climate, which favors intensive plant growth. It is believed that poppy became known in China in the 6th or 7th century. n. e. From a manuscript dated 973, it is known that opium called “ing-tzu-shu” was used as a remedy for dysentery, pain and insomnia. Foreign opium was first introduced into China by the Portuguese, the first Europeans to arrive in China in 1516.

Around 1620, tobacco entered China from the Philippine Islands and became very popular among the population. The custom of mixing opium with tobacco was most likely introduced by the Dutch from Java. From that time on, opiate smoking began to develop in China, replacing opiophagy. Already from the middle of the 17th century. opium smoking became widespread, and opium began to be used primarily for narcotic purposes.

By the end of the 17th century. (under the last emperor of the Ming dynasty) due to the ban on smoking, opium consumption in China increased significantly. Therefore, from the beginning of the 18th century. China began to intensively cultivate opium poppy. Ultimately, opium smoking in China became so widespread that in 1729 the government was forced to issue the first edict prohibiting opium smoking. However, this ban remained formal. In the last quarter of the 18th century. Opium imports into China from India have increased. The rapid development of the opium trade became the main and most profitable article of the British in China. Seeing these profits, opium traders from the US and Portugal also entered the Chinese market.

The import of opium into China was aimed not only at making huge profits on the vast market of this country, but also pursued the spread of opium smoking to weaken the country from within, which led to the transformation of China into a semi-colony of Western countries. Opioid smoking gradually began to take on a disastrous character. The government tried to combat the cultivation of opium poppies, but large quantities of smuggled opium were constantly imported, mainly from Bengal. The forced import of opium led to the massive spread of opium smoking in China and began to pose a threat to the nation. Therefore, the Chinese emperor issued two laws: the first prohibiting the smoking of opium, and the second prohibiting its import. However, these laws did not give the desired result due to corruption in government and local officials. The emperor issued another law according to which drug smugglers were punished with death. This later served as the main reason for the so-called Opium Wars.

In the 30s of the XIX century. in China, a policy began to prohibit the opium trade and opium smoking, which led to the Anglo-Chinese War (1840-1842) - the so-called first “Opium” War, and then to the Anglo-French-Chinese War (1856-1860) - Second Opium War. An attempt to forcefully protect the homeland from the import of drugs did not yield results. After a series of defeats in these wars, China was forced, in the name of “free trade,” to sign a treaty granting foreign traders the right to import opium into certain ports. Thus, the smuggling of opium from 1858 was replaced by legal one. This was an important milestone on the path to transforming China into a semi-colony. Opioid smoking in the country has become even more widespread.

From India and China, opium spread throughout Southeast Asia. In purely colonial countries, the policy of European colonialists was even more cynical than in China: they, together with the feudal elite of colonial and dependent countries, promoted the use of narcotic substances, having a double benefit from this - receiving fabulous profits from the sale of drugs, while simultaneously weakening the physical and spiritual strength of the people , distracted him from the national liberation war.

The use and production of opium in Turkey was on par with India and China. French naturalist and naturalist Pierre Belon during his travels in 1546-1549. was shocked by the scale of opium consumption in Asia Minor and Egypt. In the description of his trip “Observations, etc.” Belon noted that there is no Turk who would not spend his last coin on the purchase of opium. The Turkish conquests contributed to the spread of opium addiction in Europe, Asia and Africa.

In the Middle Ages, under the Frankish king Charlemagne, the science of drugs began to develop in Europe. During this time, drug-containing plants were grown for medicinal purposes. The wider introduction of opium into medical practice can only be attributed to the 16th century.

This is associated with the name of the Swiss physician, philosopher and naturalist, professor at the University of Basel Paracelsus (1453-1541), who with his works opened new ways for the study of narcotic substances. Paracelsus produced and widely used in his practice an opium-based tincture “Paracelsus laudanum” (from the substance laudanum, which is a component of opium). However, the presence of the drug in this tincture has been disputed by some scientists. Therefore, the English physician Thomas Sydenham (1624-1689) compiled a recipe for a similar drug, but with a clear content of opium, which later retained the name “laudan,” but without the name of Paracelsus. Sydenham was an ardent promoter of laudanum, seeing it as “the hand of God,” and believed that all treatment should be based on opium. Until the discovery and spread of opium alkaloids (morphine, codeine, heroin), laudanum played a large role in medical practice. It was used for pain, agitation, insomnia, cough, weakness, exhaustion, bleeding, diarrhea, etc. Although the widespread use of laudanum did not lead to such a large increase in opium addiction as was the case in the East from opiate smoking, drug addiction began to gradually appear in Europe.

Opium culture is gaining everyone's attention and becoming fashionable. Opium addiction is spreading very quickly, penetrating various sectors of society. In England, the use of opium in the form of tablets became a brake on the work of the textile industry and slowed down labor productivity. This forced the British government to resort to some restrictive measures. Many English drug addicts were recruited for service in India. When returning home, they brought drugs with them, introducing others to them. Drugs became so commonplace in everyday life that they began to be used as regular medicines. The London slums were home to many drug addicts who spent time in special smoking rooms.

The penetration of opium into France was similar to that into England. In France, classic drug addicts often belonged to artistic and literary circles. Here it is appropriate to recall the addiction to the drug of Charles Baudelaire, Théophile Gotts and others. Opium was also used by sailors of the French Navy, which at one time forced the government to take special restrictive measures. IN late XIX V. In France, opium smoking is becoming fashionable, special houses appear where not only men, but also women smoke opium.

The opium craze did not bypass Germany, Italy, Austria and other European countries. At this time, drug addiction did not yet go beyond the scope of medicine; its social factors did not appear and were not studied. Over the past hundred years, opium use has become increasingly widespread in Europe with each passing decade. In some social groups (bohemian environment, certain declassed elements, etc.) opium addiction even began to prevail over alcohol consumption, which is traditionally common in European culture.

The First World War was the impetus for the subsequent spread of drug addiction in Europe. An epidemic of drug use has spread to almost all the warring countries. After the War, the public attitude towards drug addiction as a vicious disease began to be determined, since it was most common among vagabonds, criminals, “moths” and other immoral elements.

The Second World War also served as a factor in the growth of drug consumption in all warring countries. This was facilitated by the most difficult wartime conditions, the forced sharp increase in the use of various types of drugs in medicine, and the large relocation of the population. However, after the Second World War there was no decline in drug addiction. Opium addiction developed, but gradually began to be replaced by other types of drug addiction. Before the Second World War, narcotic drugs were released to patients uncontrolled. And only after the war their extradition was regulated.

Opiate use is particularly widespread in the United States. Drugs were brought to America by numerous emigrants from regions where drug use was traditional. Chinese coolies - laborers who moved to the United States in the mid-19th century - contributed to the rapid spread of opiate smoking in America. In pre-revolutionary literature, the prototype of a negative hero was often a Chinese - the owner of a den where opium was smoked. Opium became widely used as a medicine during the Civil War (1861-1865). By the beginning of the 20th century. Drug addiction in the United States has become a serious social problem in its scale. It was not until 1909 that the import of opium was banned in the United States. In December 1911, the international Conference, which developed measures to combat the spread of opium. Nevertheless, drug addiction in the United States was gaining momentum and reached record levels after the First World War. According to statistics, in 1921 opium use in America was 12 times higher than in any other country in the world. The ban on the sale of alcohol at this time contributed to an increase in opium consumption.

The Second World War served as an impetus for the further growth of drug addiction; drugs were also common in the US military. During the Vietnam War, a commission headed by Admiral Mack was forced to admit the following: “The U.S. Department of Defense never really realized the large quantities of drugs used in the Army, Air Force and Navy... The few cases investigated are no more than a drop in the blood. in the vast ocean of drug addiction that has overwhelmed American army" However, it should be noted that with the general development of drug addiction in the last decade, the consumption of pure opium in the United States has decreased somewhat due to the infatuation with more fashionable and stronger drugs, which will be discussed below.

In our country, poppy was known back in ancient Slavic times. These were mainly oil-bearing poppy varieties that were used for food. Fatty oil was obtained from its seeds, and poppy seeds were used in baking gingerbread. In addition, poppy was also used as a medicine.

In pre-revolutionary Russia, opium smoking was very widespread in Central Asia, as well as in the most major cities. Newspapers of that time reported that in Moscow there was a salon in which opium smokers gathered: “After a few puffs, after 10-15 minutes, the whole society falls into sleep or some kind of strange intoxication. Pleasant dreams, dreams embrace everyone... But it is bitter, as one of the smokers says, waking up is worse than after a drinking session, he says. “Whiskey presses like a vice, there are luminous spots and circles in the eyes, nausea, aversion to food - in a word, abomination.”

However, no radical measures were taken against this vice. Only after the revolution of 1917 did the fight against drug addiction begin. For comparatively short period Opium addiction was almost eliminated. There are only a small number of consumers of medical opium preparations left - tinctures, pills, extracts (at present they are not produced by our pharmaceutical industry).

At the same time, recently in Russia and Ukraine, homemade opium preparations have become widespread - khanka, mucha, khochnar and other surrogates, obtained using primitive technology by drug addicts and dealers in narcotic poison.

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Earliest evidence of drug use

Many ancient civilizations used drugs - Mesopotamia, Egypt, Ancient Greece, India, China, the Mayans and the Aztecs knew that some plants could put people to sleep or intoxicate, and certain types of mushrooms could cause hallucinations. Our ancestors considered this to be a manifestation of mysterious powers, a gift from the gods or the creation of demons. Drugs were used for various purposes: during religious rituals, to restore strength, to change consciousness, to relieve pain and discomfort.

Let's look at this evidence in more detail.

Already in the pre-literate period, we have evidence that people knew and used psychoactive chemicals - drugs: alcohol and plants, the consumption of which affects consciousness. Archaeological research has shown that as early as 6400 BC. people knew beer and some other alcoholic drinks. Obviously, fermentation processes were discovered by accident (grape wine, by the way, appeared only in the 4th-3rd centuries BC).

The history of drug use dates back to the Sumerian civilization, 5 thousand years BC. It was in the excavations of those times that the first written references to the preparation and use of opium were found, which they called “gil”, which means “joy”.

The first written evidence of drunkenness is the story of the drunken Noah from the Book of Genesis.

Various plants have also been used to cause physiological and mental changes, usually in religious rites or during medical procedures. An example is use in the Middle East in 5 thousand BC. “cereal of joy” (apparently, the opium poppy from which drugs are made).

By 2737 B.C. later tradition attributed the medical book Chinese Emperor Shen Nung on the use of cannabis (in the form of infusion, like tea) as a “medicine for absent-mindedness, cough and diarrhea.”

Stone Age people knew drugs such as opium, hashish and cocaine and used these drugs to alter consciousness (during religious rituals) and in preparation for battle.

The burial complexes of South American Indians are also of considerable antiquity. On the walls of the burial complexes of the Indians of Central and South America there are images of people chewing coca leaves (one of the ways of taking cocaine), dating back to the middle of 3 thousand BC. Archaeological studies in South America have shown that here, too, the use of narcotic drugs has been known since ancient times: already in 2 thousand BC, the inhabitants of modern Peru consumed coca leaves. When in the 16th century. The Inca Empire was conquered by the Spanish conquistadors, they converted Special attention to the widespread use of coca chewing among the Indians, thanks to which, for example, couriers with reports could run non-stop for several days without feeling hungry or tired.

In India, hemp has gained recognition as a sacred herb. Hashish is mentioned in the ancient Indian epic: more than a hundred hymns of the Rig Veda (1500 BC) are devoted to describing the properties of the famous cannabis drink - indrakarana (food of the gods), which replaced the legendary soma - a ritual hallucinogenic drug, the composition of which is still not known yet.

Antiquity and dope

Drugs, as substances that change the human condition, were known to both the ancient Greeks and the ancient Romans. In addition, Greek culture gave its name to a drug prepared from the milky juice of dried poppy heads - the word “οπος” (“opium”) translated from Greek means “juice.” Hemp was well known in the ancient world. The substance "Nepenthe", mentioned in Homer's Odyssey, is believed by scientists to be a brew in which hemp was the most active ingredient.

The surgeon Doscorid, who used cannabis for anesthesia, mentions its ability to cause “pleasant mirages and images” (ultra-high doses of hashish are required for the analgesic effect, at which the hallucinogenic properties of cannabis resins are manifested).

Thanks to Herodotus, there is a description of purification rites among the Scythians, who, hiding in tents, threw hemp seeds onto hot stones and inhaled the vapors “inducing joy” (5-4 centuries BC). It is interesting that he describes the Scythian ritual with the burning of hemp smoke, despite the fact that hemp did not grow in Hellas itself at that time, and he has to explain to the audience what kind of plant it is.

Roman doctors of the 1st century AD treated opium very well, using it to treat various diseases. “Intoxication” with cannabis was also described by Democritus and Galen. Some historians associate the extreme popularity of opium in Rome at the beginning of the first millennium with the authority of the Roman physician Claudius Galen (129-201), who was enthusiastic about opium. Galen wrote: “It is common practice to create fun and happiness at banquets by giving the guests marijuana.”

Interesting historical evidence can be considered the notes of the Roman military leader Pliny (commandant of the Trier fortress in western Germany). In his letter to Rome, he complained about the soldiers' use of a decoction of bitter wormwood - "absintum", after which they "walk as if in a dope." Apparently we are talking about the oldest prototype of the Absinthe drink, which was extremely fashionable in France in the 19th century.

Legends about hemp and its use can be found in many religions: in Shinto (Japan), hemp was used to reunite married couples, to drive away evil spirits and to create fun and happiness in marriage; in Hinduism, hemp is a sacred plant that Shiva ordered to be brought from the Himalayas for the “pleasure and enlightenment of man”; in Buddhism, hemp is widely used as food and for ritual purposes; followers of Zorathustra (Magicians - Persia, 5-6 centuries BC) practiced the religious and medicinal use of cannabis; Essen ( Ancient Egypt- 1st century BC), Islamic Sufis, Copts (the first Egyptian Christians) and many other religious communities were well aware of the properties of this plant.

Above are the works of Kitagawa Utamaro, these are portraits of beauties. All Japanese girls depicted smoking marijuana from a pipe. This type of pipe is called a kiseru. Japanese pipes have a much smaller ball at the end than Western tobacco pipes. The middle part was usually made of bamboo or another type of wood, and the ends were made of metal, usually silver or bronze. The name of the pipe comes from the word ksher from the Khmer language of Cambodia, a country where cannabis has long been cultivated as a drug, where such pipes are still sold on the market. Later, kiseru pipes were used not only for hemp, but also for tobacco.

According to the German ethnographer Hugo Obermeyer, smoking cannabis using pipes was known to the ancient Germans and Gallo-Romans in the first century BC. e.. Apparently, behind the official European history of the humble textile plant lies a deep esoteric and medical tradition, the connection with which was lost during the period of the “witch hunt”. An interesting fact is that hemp (an ancient and very widespread plant) was first introduced into the classification only in 1753 (C. Linnaeus), another variety was described by Lamarck in 1783. According to some reports, early Christian communities encouraged the use of healing herbs, which " a wise man should not be avoided" (Catholic Bible, Sirach 38:4). Apparently, at that time the atmosphere of love, openness and tolerance that Jesus taught still remained. The church began to strengthen the Old Testament taboo much later. Hemp never disappeared from the sight of priests: in addition to the well-known and the medicinal properties used at that time, it provided paper production and oil for lamps.

The Middle Ages and the first prohibitions

Throughout history, contact between distant cultures has occurred through trade and war. For example, as a result crusades and the travels of Marco Polo, Europeans again became aware of opium and hashish, widespread in the East. Later, the travels of Europeans (mainly the British, French, Portuguese and Spanish) to America brought new discoveries. The main drugs brought to Europe from America were cocaine (from South America), various hallucinogens (from Central America) and tobacco (from North America).

Research has shown that there was a two-way exchange between cultures. The birthplace of the coffee tree is Ethiopia. Europeans became acquainted with the coffee drink in the 17th century; sailors brought coffee beans to South America, which is now the world's main coffee producer. Let us add that alcohol obtained as a result of distillation came from Europe to America, and hemp appeared in Chile in 1545.

By the way, the reliable history of hemp on the American continent begins in the 14th century, when the Spaniards brought the “weed” to Peru and Chile, although some researchers suggest that this plant was known to the indigenous inhabitants of the New World long before the European invasion.

Legislative persecution began in the 12th century, when the church banned the use of cannabis in Spain, and in the 13th century in France. In 1484, Pope Innocent VIII officially separated medicinal cannabis products, declaring cannabis an unconsecrated sacrament of the Satanic mass. Although evil tongues said that the Pope, known for his depravity of nature, himself consumed foods forbidden by him.

For residents of Western Europe at that time the following were allowed: medical supplies: Wearing a bird mask (to cure ulcers), bleeding by pints and quarts (for pneumonia, colds or fevers), and praying for healing. The ban on the medical use of cannabis was lifted only after 150 years. Alcohol, which by that time had already been learned to “strengthen”, was known to be a legitimate intoxicating potion.

Since the Middle Ages, Western man's relationship with cannabis has changed several times, sometimes becoming the subject of moral speculation, sometimes touching on issues of economic benefit. While the Church was persecuting Europeans who used hemp, Spanish conquerors were growing it all over the globe for sails, rope, clothing and other uses that were kept quiet. Entire fields of hemp often grew near Western port cities, since cannabis fibers are the most durable and water-resistant. Of course, harvesters, manufacturers, and sailors were well aware of the psychoactive properties of this plant...

In the 70s of the 17th century. English merchant sailor Thomas Bowery (1649? – 1713) sailed his ship along the coast of the Indian state of Bengal. The team saw locals having fun by drinking bhang, a drink made from dried and crushed Indian hemp leaves mixed with fresh water. The sailors decided to try this mixture and eight to ten people bought a pint of the drink at the market for six pence. The Bowery Notes of what happened next are the first English eyewitness account of the use of cannabis for pleasure. Although sailors are usually not very respectful of the rules of decency, the Bowery fellow countrymen did not want to look stupid in public, and therefore had to observe the rules of secrecy. Apparently, in the Puritan era it was not customary to have fun openly. The sailors hired a local fakir to monitor them and the progress of the experiment. After each Englishman had drunk his share, the fakir went out and locked the doors and windows so that none of the sailors could run out into the street, and no strangers could enter and surprise them. As Bowery recalled, most Englishmen enjoyed the experience, although their self-esteem suffered.

“The drug soon took effect, and we all felt happy, except for two, who, I suppose, not being accustomed to this mixture, were afraid that it would harm them. One sat down on the floor and cried bitterly all day. Another, overcome with horror, hid his head in a huge jug and remained in this position for four hours or more. Four or five of us lay on the carpets spread out in the room, praising each other and imagining ourselves almost as emperors. One, in a fit of quarrelsome mood, fought with the wooden column of the porch until he tore off the skin on his knuckles. I myself and another sailor sat and sweated for at least three hours.”

Meanwhile, their guard, intoxicated on the street with “bhang,” called the sailors kings and brave guys, imagining that he was in front of the gates of the palace in Agra and singing on this occasion in Hindi. Bowery knew that dried hemp leaves could be smoked with tobacco - in which case the drug acted much faster - or chewed, but the most pleasant thing was to drink it with water. According to Bowery, the effects of cannabis depended on the mood and inclinations of the person taking it. If he was cheerful at the time of the reception, he continued to have fun, bursting into unusually violent laughter with or without reason. If a person was sad, he continued to grieve and suffered greatly.

Bowery's description of the process of eating bhang was more significant than he could have imagined. English sailors in the Indian market represented the international recognition of the drug as a commodity with ever-changing levels of demand, supply and consumption. Bowery told of the first case of the drug being taken by Europeans who wanted to satisfy their curiosity and experience joyful oblivion.

Enlightenment and flowering of the culture... of drug use

However, attitudes toward marijuana remained cautious until the early 19th century, when France occupied Egypt and Algeria, and Europe became more familiar with the drug.

Since 1611, hemp has been cultivated in the state of Virginia. The textile and medicinal properties of cannabis were well known to the first American presidents (the government paid subsidies to hemp farmers).

Back in the 70s of the 17th century, Puritan consciousness turned drug experiments into something illegal. From the mid-19th century, under the influence of American Puritanism and European industrialization, the enjoyment of illicit drugs and hostility to narcotic hedonism increased exponentially.

Following the colonization of India and Napoleon's invasion of Egypt, interest in hemp products revived in Europe. At the end of the 18th century, the emperor’s physician Jean Nicolas Corvisart de Mar brought to Paris a whole collection of different varieties of hashish, and thanks to the secular protégé of the French, cannabis came to the attention of official culture for the first time.

Since the 19th century, people have made much greater use of available medicinal substances to improve their mood or reduce their emotionality.

In 1839, the English physician William O'Shaughnessy, a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences, published a paper on the successful use of cannabis as an analgesic in the treatment of rheumatism, seizures and convulsions.

For example, he introduced alcohol tincture of cannabis into the European Pharmacopoeia - a psychotropic and antibacterial agent for external and internal use. Used successfully from the mid-19th century to the 1940s. as an anticonvulsant, antibacterial and analgesic. The medical indications and dosage of the drug were studied by British physician John Russell Reynolds, who published his observations in the late 19th century.

At the same time, the official medical use of cannabis spread in Europe and America: an infusion of leaves and inflorescences served as an antispasmodic and hypnotic, and light hemp oil was used to relieve inflammation.

Opium tea

Just over 200 years ago, opium was the most common cargo in British ports. For example, the Times newspaper in February 1785, listing the goods that were unloaded at the port of London, wrote about opium from Smyrna (Izmir) on a par with butter from Livorno and peas from Gdansk.

"There are opium dens where you can buy oblivion. There are terrible dens where the memory of old sins can be drowned in the madness of new ones."
Oscar Wilde, "The Picture of Dorian Gray"

In the early 19th century, travelers in Norfolk were warned to be wary of drinking mugs in pubs as locals added opium to their beer in the belief that it would ward off the risk of contracting malaria on the Fenland moors.

Opium, obtained from the sun-dried milky sap of the opium poppy, was commonly used as an anesthetic.

Those close to the British Queen Victoria ordered opium from the court pharmacist. It was said about the queen herself that she used cocaine with the young Winston Churchill.

Another British prime minister, William Gladstone, allegedly added opium to his tea or coffee before making important speeches.

In 1857, the American writer F. Ludlow describes his personal experience after taking tincture of Indian hemp, confirming the sacred power of this plant. The psychoactive properties of cannabis were admired by G. Thoreau, G. Melville, and other famous American writers and philosophers.

As you know, in the second half of the 19th century in Paris, on the banks of the Seine, the “Hasgashish Club” was located - a small society of writers and artists who were fond of exotic drugs. "Members of this club met regularly and consumed hashish in quantities that today can be estimated as very large." These were famous writers: C. Baudelaire, T. Gautier, P. Verlaine, A. Rimbaud, O. Balzac, A. Dumas and others. Thanks to them, hashish became widely known in the European cultural tradition.

It should be noted that these people, while admirers of the psychoactive properties of cultivated cannabis, did not consider it a promising tradition. At that time, society could not correctly explain the effect of psychedelic plants on humans. Only in the 20th century, a wide and often unpredictable range of manifestations of the human unconscious was substantiated in the works of Z. Freud, C. G. Jung, A. Adler, W. Reich, O. Rank, A. Maslow, S. Grof and other famous scientists.

F. Nietzsche, according to the description of his biographer D. Galswi, being a weak and sickly man, used apothecary tincture of hemp, which in times of crisis was his only medicine.

Between 1840 and 1900, more than one hundred papers on the medicinal properties of cannabis were published in Western medical literature. Until 1937, cannabis was prescribed as a primary drug for the treatment of more than 100 different diseases in the American Pharmacopoeia: as a remedy for asthma, migraines, herpes, arthritis, rheumatic pain, dysentery, insomnia and various neurological disorders.

From 1850 to 1942, marijuana was included in the United States Pharmacopoeia, the official collection of documents on quality control of drugs used in medicine. Marijuana remained in the British Pharmacopoeia until 1971.

At the beginning of the 20th century in the United States, smoking weed was widespread mainly among Mexican wage workers. The well-known name marijuana (marijuana) originates from them. By that time, this tradition had been known in South America and the Caribbean for half a century. Among white Americans, mass interest in cannabis arose only after Prohibition in 1920. However, as state policies regarding opiates and cocaine were determined, this plant more often came under the close supervision of the authorities, and only due to the well-known medical properties of cannabis remained legal.

Opium Wars

So, in the 18th century, England established a massive supply of drugs to Chinese territory, exporting material assets, gold and fur in return.

In addition, a secondary military goal was achieved - the disintegration of the Chinese army, because opium smoking had become truly widespread in China.

In order to get rid of the corrupting influence of opium, the Chinese emperor in 1839 in Canton began a massive operation to confiscate and destroy opium reserves.

Colonial ships loaded with drugs were sunk at sea. This can be considered the first state anti-drug program in the history of mankind. However, such actions of the Chinese authorities did not meet with understanding among the British colonialists, and in response to such actions, Great Britain sent colonial troops to protect its ships.

Clashes on this basis are known in history as the Opium Wars. China, however, was defeated by colonial troops and was forced to submit. Under the terms of the Treaty of Tiensin in 1858, China was officially forced to agree to import opium, but could impose fairly high customs duties.

Victory in this way brought enormous benefits to the colonialists and, in particular, members of the British royal family received huge profits. Very soon, the Chinese began to reorient their agriculture from growing tea and rice to poppy plantations.

However, in implementing the anti-drug program in 1905, the Chinese government adopted a program of gradual prohibition of opium, which was implemented over the next ten years. The fight against drug addiction still remains one of the priorities of the state policy of the PRC - currently it has one of the strictest anti-drug laws.

From the Opium Wars to Total Prohibition

Unauthorized drug use worried only clergy during the Opium Wars and was not legally prosecuted.

In 1798, Napoleon discovered that many lower-class Egyptians were using hashish. It bans cannabis completely. However, soldiers returning to France brought with them the tradition of cannabis use.

In 1864, Egypt became the first modern country to ban the use of cannabis.

Everything changed with the signing of the International Opium Convention. The countries that signed the treaty, including Russia, pledged to make every effort to stop the trade in opium, morphine and cocaine.

Just as now, 100 years ago, the most intransigent position was occupied by the United States. But Britain signed the convention in 1912 without much enthusiasm, says Mike Jay, author of Emperors of Dreams: Drugs in the Nineteenth Century.

The real problem for British authorities at the time was alcohol, says the researcher. “There was a lot of debate around the problem of rampant drinking in the 19th century,” says Jay.

Britain's ambivalence toward opium was understandable: in the 19th century, the country fought to maintain the opium trade by ending China's attempts to limit drug imports into the country.

The use of opium in the mid-19th century was perceived completely differently than it is now. Then you could just go to the pharmacy and freely buy opium or cocaine, as well as, for example, arsenic.

Formally, in 1868, the Pharmacy Act in England introduced some restrictions. In theory, it became more difficult to obtain opium: the buyer had to give his name and address. In reality, little has changed.

In 1890, hashish became illegal in Turkey and Greece.

But fashion changed: opium was replaced by “invigorating” cocaine. As a result, the hero of Arthur Conan Doyle’s books, the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, injects himself with “seven percent cocaine” to clear his mind.

Cocaine was seen to have some downsides and downsides, but at the turn of the century there was no hint of the depravity with which it later became associated.

Unlike in Britain, in the US cocaine was associated with street crime and was often mentioned in racist propaganda as a drug that made blacks mad and attacked white women.

The domestic American agenda influenced Washington's insistence on signing international agreements, which was eventually formalized into the Opium Convention of 1912.

It included representatives of 13 states, including Russia. A serious outbreak of drug addiction in our country occurred after the First World War. The practice of using drugs in the army was common in many countries at that time. In field hospitals, the wounded were given morphine and cocaine. In England, there was even a special medical kit called “A Useful Gift for a Friend Going to the Front” with a syringe and ampoules of morphine and cocaine. But drug addiction has spread most among poets, writers, and artists.

And once cocaine and opium were outlawed, the police easily took control of the situation.

Now that the world is constantly arguing about the effectiveness of measures to combat drug trafficking, it seems strange that the 1912 treaty turned out to be a truly effective measure, but it really was so. There were extremely few consumers and mostly in a “bohemian” environment, so there were no serious forces interested in the supply of drugs.

Globalization of drugs

Due to the fact that the stories that appeared in the press about marijuana and hashish were unsightly and repulsive, the spread of the drug in Europe was slow. Hemp gained widespread popularity in Europe only in the 1960s, when it was reintroduced by travelers from the United States. Only then did fundamental changes take place in relation to Western society to drugs.

Baby Boomers are the first generation in history to become truly global consumers. People suddenly began to go to Morocco to smoke hashish, or to hook up with migrant workers who used marijuana.

The dam broke. If once the authorities were confronted by relatively small groups of offenders living in their own small drug subculture, now their problem is millions of users and influential international drug cartels.

Synthetics - addictive the first time!

The stories of all drugs are similar. In Ancient China, Greece and Rome, alcohol and Indian hemp were used as painkillers. Drugs were consumed (chewed, smoked) without special processing, and therefore their destructive effect on the body was relatively weak.

Man has learned to process these substances into poisons that bring death.

So, in the 19th century, European chemists learned to make purer and more potent drugs from natural raw materials. In 1805, the German chemist F. Sertürner isolated an alkaloid from opium, named morphine (in honor of greek god dreams of Morpheus), in 1832 the French chemist P.-J. Robiquet - codeine. The weight content of morphine and codeine in opium is 10 and 0.5%, respectively. Since the 1870s, heroin (diacetylmorphine) and other hard drugs began to be chemically produced from morphine.

A milestone in the culture of drug use was the invention of the syringe. It is believed that it was invented by the Swiss veterinarian Charles Pravetz in 1864, and in 1865 the Englishman Alexander Wood combined the syringe with the hollow injection needle he invented. Like other drugs, narcotics, most notably morphine, also began to be administered by injection. This made it possible to achieve the desired effect with a significantly lower dose of the drug, and with intravenous injections the euphoric sensations significantly increased. With the spread of the injection form of drug administration, the medical problems of drug addicts have intensified, in the form of abscesses, phlebitis, overdoses, blood-borne infections, the most dangerous of which are HIV and hepatitis.

Industrial production synthetic drugs began only in the 20th century. The second half of the 20th century brought new artificial poisons, including LSD.

Nowadays, thanks to the inexhaustible “demand”, new varieties are constantly appearing.

Now analogues of almost all natural drugs have been obtained synthetically. There is a large group of synthetic opioids, stimulants, and hallucinogens, many of which are much stronger in their effects than their natural predecessors.

The production of such synthetic drugs can easily be established in small illegal laboratories, which completely eliminates the link between the drug business and traditional sources of raw materials.

Russia

The march of drug addiction has not spared Russia either. But in Soviet times, few people knew about this. At that time, drug addicts were sent to labor treatment centers.

The collapse of the USSR and the transition to market relations caused an increase in drug addiction among the population: from 1985 to 1995, the number of registered drug addicts alone increased fivefold.

The situation is complicated by the fact that in Russia drug addicts move from soft drugs to hard drugs much faster than in other countries.

Currently, half a million drug addicts are officially registered in the country. In fact, there are at least ten times more of them - almost every 20th Russian. The number of drug addicts is growing exponentially: each drug addict drags another 10–20 people into the deadly whirlpool every year!

Modernity

Law

An official ban on the cultivation, production, sale and possession of drugs, as well as the purchase, etc. valid in most countries of the world. However, there are territories where the sale and use of it is decriminalized, and even legalized. Such places include South and Western Australia, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands, where marijuana is prohibited, but adults (over 18) are not prosecuted for marijuana, and cafes can sell it legally.

What does this lead to?

An overdose causes poisoning, anaphylactic shock, and death. Regular use leads to addiction to the drug, followed by death.

5 most famous people who died from drugs:

Marilyn Monroe

Elvis Presley

Jimi Hendrix

Kurt Cobain

Michael Jackson

Think - do you need it?!

Compared to the age of modern humans - homo sapiens (at least 40 thousand years), the time of consumption of low-proof alcohol, such as beer, by individual peoples is short: a maximum of 4-10 thousand years. The time of consumption of strong alcohol, such as vodka obtained by distillation, is even shorter - no more than 500 years. That is, the consumption of low-proof alcoholic products over time is no more than 10 - 25%, and strong alcoholic products - no more than 1.25% of the age of Homo sapiens.

With the transition to the late primitive producing community, from the 8th-2nd millennium BC. e., residents of the Eurasian mainland began to produce and consume low-proof alcoholic products obtained through natural fermentation: beer, honey (as an intoxicating drink), and later in the southern regions, grape dry wine. Having discovered the narcotic properties of alcohol, primitive people began to drink alcohol for ritual and ceremonial purposes at infrequent seasonal feasts, which were a necessary condition for maintaining friendly inter-community and intra-community ties. Moreover, drinking alcohol was not an end in itself, but was part of a general holiday; drinking drunk was not accepted.

In Ancient Greece they drank little, and only diluted wine, which was mixed in a ratio of 1:3, 1:4 (one part wine and three to four parts water). And if you consider that the strength of natural wine does not exceed 12-13%, then it is easy to calculate that the strength of the wine that was drunk in those days did not exceed 3-4 degrees. In addition, for everyday use, the wine was diluted even in a ratio of 1:20. Indirect evidence of the nature of alcohol consumption at that time are literary monuments and epitaphs. Here is the inscription on the gravestone (Callimachus, 310 - 240 BC): “ The drunkard Erasiksen was ruined by wine cups: he drank two cups of wine unmixed at once.».

But even when it was customary to dilute wine with water, there was drunkenness and the idea of ​​intoxication as something shameful and unacceptable. In Ancient Greece, wine drinking was condemned by Homer, Herodotus, Callimachus, Polemon, and Theocritus.

In ancient Rome, the attitude towards alcohol was also restrained at first; there were many prohibitions and restrictions: men under 30 were forbidden to drink wine, and women were forbidden to drink wine for the rest of their lives. When drunkenness overwhelmed the Roman Empire, it fell. How the Romans lost cities during barbarian invasions is described in a number of documents: the enemy is already at the walls, and the city fathers leave the feast only when the enemies have already essentially entered the city.

Contrary to popular belief, the Epicureans, as a philosophical movement glorifying the enjoyment of life, treated alcohol with great restraint, and Epicurus himself led an almost sober lifestyle. The mathematician Pythagoras absolutely abstained from wine and demanded the same from his students. ; Aristotle and Seneca called drunkenness voluntary madness.

In all ancient cultures, children were unconditionally forbidden to drink wine, and in many, women too.

The Arabs began to obtain distilled alcohol from grape wine in the 6th-7th centuries and called it “al cogol”, which means “intoxicating”. The first bottle of distilled spirit was made by the Arab Raghez in 860. Distilling wine into alcohol immediately sharply worsened drunkenness. Those who were the first to look into the alcohol abyss were the first to realize the harmful effects of alcohol. Apparently, this was precisely the reason for the ban on alcohol by the founder of Islam, Muhammad (Mohammed, 570-632). This prohibition was subsequently introduced into the code of Muslim laws - the Koran (VII century). Since then, for 12 centuries, alcohol has not been consumed in Muslim countries, and apostates have been severely punished.

They also learned to produce strong alcohol in the Middle Ages in Western Europe by sublimating wine and other fermenting sugary liquids. According to legend, the Italian monk Valentius was one of the first to do this. Having tried the newly obtained product and becoming intoxicated, the alchemist declared that he had discovered a miraculous elixir that makes an old man young, a tired man cheerful, and a sad man cheerful. In 1260, Irish monks learned to distill grain wine, which was called “whiskey.” Since then, alcohol quickly began to spread throughout the world. Strong alcohol became especially widespread in Europe after the invention of “schnaps” - vodka made from potatoes - at the beginning of the 19th century.

Ancient Rus' was almost sober. There is a myth that drunkenness is an ancient tradition of our people. Russian historian and ethnographer Professor N.I. Kostomarov (1817-1885) proved that in Ancient Rus' they drank very little. Ivan Pryzhov makes similar conclusions in his fundamental work “The History of Taverns in Russia in Connection with the History of the Russian People.” He points out that Russians drank mostly low-proof “drinks.” Only on selected holidays were they brewed mead, mash or beer, the strength of which did not exceed 5-10 degrees. The glass was passed around, and everyone took a few sips from it. It was not customary to drink drunk. As they say in Russian fairy tales: “And I was there, I drank honey and beer, it flowed down my mustache, but it didn’t get into my mouth.” On weekdays there were no alcoholic “drinks”, and drunkenness was considered the greatest shame and sin. The strength of dry wines imported from Byzantium was also low - from 9 to 14 degrees. Moreover, in pre-Moscow Rus' it was customary to dilute wine with water, as in Greece and Byzantium (1:3 or 2:5). All “drinks” were home-made and not commercially available.

According to research by N.P. Zagoskina (1851-1912), they drank little in Russia even in the Middle Ages. According to the Ustyug Charter of 1614, the population was allowed to brew and keep strong drinks in their homes for 4 holidays: Great Day (Easter), Demetrius Saturday, St. Nicholas Day and Maslenitsa. And the Perm Charter of 1553 even stated that permission to brew intoxicating drinks extended only to “the best people”, so that “ there was no chaos between them and no murder».

B. Kutyrev conducted research on two books - “The Tale of the Russian Land” by Nechvolodov (1913) and “Foreigners about Ancient Moscow, XV-XVII centuries (collection of archival materials) and cites the following statements by foreigners about morals in Rus'.

Barbaro Josaphat, a Venetian merchant and diplomat, was in Rus' in 1436-1452:

« Grand Duke John issued a ban on making mash and honey and using hop flowers in anything. Thus turned them to the good life».

Sigismund Herberstein, Austrian diplomat in Russia:

« ...Russians, with the exception of a few days a year, are forbidden to drink honey and beer, and the bodyguards alone are given complete freedom to drink, and therefore they are separated from communication with the rest, so that others are not tempted».

Alexander Guagnini, commandant of Vitebsk 1569-1587:

“Vasily III built the Nalivki settlement for the soldiers of his guard and other foreign soldiers - Poles, Germans, who by nature love to drink.”

Matthew Miechowski, Polish bishop (early 16th century):

« To avoid drunkenness, the tsar prohibits, on pain of deprivation of life, keeping honey and other intoxicating drinks in houses, except two or three times a year, with the permission of the sovereign».

Clement Adams, navigator. Was in Russia in 1553-1554:

« At the tsar's feast in honor of the English embassy there were 100 guests. Dinner ended when the candles were already lit (because night had fallen). And the king said goodbye to those who were dining, calling everyone by name».

(Only a sober person can say goodbye by name to hundreds of guests, many of whom are foreigners!).

Mikhalon Litvin:

« In Muscovy, there are no taverns anywhere, and if even a drop of wine is found on any householder, then his entire house is ruined, his estates are confiscated, the servants and neighbors living on the same street are punished, and the owner himself is forever imprisoned.

Since Muscovites abstain from drunkenness, their cities abound with diligent craftsmen of various kinds...».

Nechvolodov: “ Under the influence of the Tatar yoke, the general coarsening of morals began to noticeably increase, education fell, and drunkenness and a love for crude spectacles, among other things, for bloody fist fights, developed.».

V.V. Pokhlebkin, historian and ethnographer, author of the fundamental work “History of Vodka,” points out that in general, winemaking, mead-making and brewing in Rus', as in other countries, were “ patriarchal (domestic or community-artel character, were closely associated with religion and ritual customs dating back to the pagan cult of ancestors and afterlife beliefs”, “used for important, state, ceremonial, religious and political purposes... Therefore, all these “drinks” were not considered simply as alcoholic, but first of all as sacred..., and therefore traditionally were not associated with the fiscal (financial - author's note) interests of the class state».

If Russians traditionally drank little, then where did the myth about the “eternal Russian drunkenness” come from? According to Doctor of Political Sciences V. Medinsky, this myth was invented by our European neighbors, who drank much more than the Russians, but who were very worried about the growing power of Russia. Therefore, they began to suggest that it was the Russians who were drunkards, and not them, thereby programming their rivals for drunken behavior.

XIV-XV centuries were a turning point in the production of alcohol in Russia. In 1386, the Russians first became acquainted with grape alcohol, imported from Kafra (Crimea) by Genoese merchants.

In Rus', the raw material was not grapes, but grains. Creation of distillation in Rus' V.V. Pokhlebkin associates it with the period of the apogee of economic development of agriculture, when surplus grain appeared as a result of the use of three-field farming, i.e. in the 40-70s. XV century. Presumably, bread wine was first smoked in the Moscow state. However, in the XV-XVI centuries. the word “vodka” meant medicines in the pharmacy - infusions, decoctions, vodka means “diluted with water.” It is natural that bread wine diluted with water also began to be called vodka. But it was only in the 18th century that this word began to be used for the first time in the official language. It turns out that the word “vodka” has been used to designate an alcoholic product for a little over 200 years. And the history of the product that is called vodka today (pure alcohol diluted with water), according to a recent study by B.V. Rodionov, generally began only in 1895 with the introduction of the state drinking monopoly.

Distillation became one of the technical discoveries of feudal society - it arose in the era of transition from patriarchalism to a market-money economy. The uncontrolled production of homemade “drinks” is being replaced by a tough, merciless, scrupulously implemented “state regalia” for the production of grain alcohol. Appears state monopoly on production and sales, because the raw materials are extremely cheap, and unlike drinks obtained naturally, the production of alcohol is much cheaper and the profit exceeds the cost of the raw materials by tens and hundreds of times. This was the beginning of the drunken tradition in Russia: drunkenness began to be imposed “from above.” ;

Under Ivan III, the first taverns. Taverns, where one could not only drink, but also eat, are destroyed, and instead of them, taverns are created - exclusively drinking establishments. Under Ivan the Terrible, the sale of vodka was allowed only to the Tsar’s guardsmen. Peasants and townspeople were supposed to drink in the tsar's taverns. And those in power were allowed to “smoke” wine for home use.

At the head of the tsar's taverns were placed kissers. They were called that because they “kissed the cross and swore that all income would go to the treasury.” The work of a kisser was elective, considered a duty and not paid. Over time, the image of a kisser who knows how to rob not only for the state, but also for himself, has developed in the minds of the people.

Kissers were given greater rights. The slightest shortage threatened them with the Tsar's disfavor, and an increase in the collection promised honors. For lack of money in the treasury, the laity were subjected to I'm right- beating with a cane. Everyone was subjected I'm right every day until the debt was paid off.

As noted by E.I. Deichman, in the taverns of the 17th century there was a notice: “ By decree of the Tsar and Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich of All Rus'... the pets are not to be recalled from the taverns, not to be driven away - neither the husband’s wife, nor the father of the son, nor the brother, nor the sister, nor her relatives, until these pets drink themselves to the cross" It turns out that drunkenness was imposed from above for selfish reasons - to replenish the treasury. In fact, an additional tax was introduced for peasants and townspeople. However, this was only the beginning of soldering.

Peter I made a significant contribution to the establishment of drunken traditions in Russia. The image of a real “European pastime” was formed by this tsar back in at a young age and later resulted in the “Most Drunken Council” with its drunken assemblies and forced drunkenness, which often ended under the table. The Council was a kind of “public organization”, the charter of which Peter personally signed. The main requirement of the charter was: “ Be drunk all day and never go to bed sober" Historians compare the atrocities committed by Peter and his associates with the atrocities of atheists in the 1920s, when atheists with skulls on sticks ran through churches, shouted obscenities in churches and vomited on the altar. Under Peter, sober people, as terrible sinners, were solemnly excommunicated from all taverns in the state, and heretics, fighters against drunkenness, were anathematized.

Alcohol smoking and the promotion of drunkenness immediately led to social consequences- the growth of drunkenness, the emergence of new, freer moral norms and relationships, the emergence of new conflict situations, the growth of urban beggary.

Our people began to be subjected to especially rampant alcohol exploitation in the first half of the 19th century, when factory production of vodka appeared and when taverns were opened everywhere selling vodka day and night. It was then that the problem of not just drunkenness, but alcoholism arose, which ultimately resulted in a mass temperance movement and the establishment of the “Prohibition Law” (“the right of local prohibition”) (1914-1925).

The next wave of people getting drunk occurred at the end of the 20s and 30s. twentieth century after the removal of all restrictions on the production and sale of alcohol (after the abolition of Prohibition). In the forties, the People's Commissar's 100 grams at the front during the Great Patriotic War played a fatal role in the spread of drunkenness. Patriotic War: Many former front-line soldiers became alcohol dependent.

And a new wave of drinking occurred in the 60s, when false propaganda of “moderate”, “cultural” consumption of alcoholic beverages unfolded in the media. At the same time, an effective economic mechanism for soldering was launched. Alcohol and tobacco revenues began to be distributed not through the central budget, but went to the local one, which “inspired” local authorities to increase the easier and much more profitable production of alcohol and tobacco compared to other goods. Like mushrooms after rain, distilleries began to grow throughout the USSR and, especially in Russia. The increased supply, supported by the promotion of “moderate” doses, led to rapid growth

drunkenness.

Let's compare data on alcohol consumption in pre-revolutionary Russia, the USSR and modern Russia during the 20th century. (in liters of absolute - 100 percent - alcohol per capita per year). The calculations of the prominent Soviet sociologist I.A. are used. Krasnonosov and a modern researcher of the epidemiology of alcohol consumption and its consequences, Doctor of Medical Sciences A.V. Nemtsova:

From the above data it is clear that in 1914, when Russian society considered the alcohol situation so extreme that it forced Tsar Nicholas II to introduce the “right of local prohibition”; people in Russia drank 3-4 times less than in 2009!

Thus, the legend that we have “always drunk like this,” even taking into account the last three or four “drunk” decades, does not correspond to reality.

Tobacco

The custom of smoking tobacco first appeared in civilizations that practiced human sacrifice and magical rituals. It is believed that the modern history of tobacco began in 1492 and is inextricably linked with the name of Christopher Columbus. The main goal of Columbus's expedition was the discovery of new trade routes and the desire to get rich. Columbus was an admiral of the Spanish fleet, and in his search for new routes to India, he mistakenly “discovered” America. But on the way to America, he and his team ended up on a group of islands called the West Indian Islands.

When he landed on these islands, he discovered that the aborigines, whom Columbus called Indians, were smoking impressively sized pipes twisted from the leaves of some plant, releasing clouds of smoke from their mouths. These were primitive “cigars”, which the Indians themselves called “Tobaccos”.

At first, tobacco was smoked by the sailors themselves, as well as by port prostitutes, criminal elements, and dock workers.

Soon tobacco became popular among the upper classes of Spanish and Portuguese society, and this popularity is associated primarily with the name of Jano Nico, the son of a poor notary, who, thanks to his hard work and talents, ended up in the Portuguese court. While experimenting with growing tobacco in the gardens of the Lisbon court, he began to study the medicinal properties of fresh tobacco leaves. He cured one of his acquaintances suffering from nasal diseases with compresses of fresh tobacco leaves, then he relieved a lady with skin defects in the same way from an abscess on her cheek. The path to fame was open for Niko.

In France, after the early death of her son, Catherine de Medici came to power. Suffering from migraines, she turned to Niko, who recommended powdered tobacco leaves as a snuff. The treatment helped the queen, and soon the entire royal court began to sniff tobacco, regardless of migraines and other ailments.

Catherine de Medici provided Nico with great support in his tobacco endeavors; tobacco began to be grown in all the royal gardens, and then throughout France, and from there it spread throughout Europe.

In the 18th century, cigars were already popular in all European courts.

The Russian Tsarina Catherine II was sent cigars decorated with silk ribbons so that her fingers would not absorb the smell of tobacco and would not turn yellow when touching the tobacco leaves.

As can be seen from the above, the spread of tobacco was facilitated by the belief in its healing properties, as well as the fashion for its use, which was introduced by royalty. Nowadays, tobacco is successfully used in the fight against garden and garden pests, and even animals eat fresh tobacco castings. But tobacco becomes dangerous when it is dried into tobacco smoke or used to dissolve in the mouth.

Tobacco was banned in Russia until the reign of Peter I, who, while in Europe, became addicted to tobacco and, upon returning, allowed its free import and sale.

As tobacco spread, enterprising people quickly realized that they could make good money from tobacco as an addictive substance, which became the main driving force for its further spread.

The spread of tobacco smoking in Russia in the 20th century was facilitated by the Russian-Japanese, First and Second World Wars.

The size of the cigarette in the First World War corresponded to the caliber of the cartridge, so that, if necessary, quickly switch the production of one means of mass destruction to another at the lowest cost.

During World War II, Adolf Hitler formulated his policy towards the Slavic peoples he hated: “No vaccinations, no medicine, no education, only vodka and tobacco.”

At the turn of the millennium in the West, tobacco capital had to make a lot of room after a series of successful trials against tobacco companies carried out by ordinary citizens. According to the chief sanitary doctor of Russia Gennady Onishchenko, Western Europe plans to completely eliminate the production and sale of cigarettes by 2020. Smoking is increasingly becoming a dubious privilege of “inferior” peoples.

Expelled from the USA and Europe, tobacco growers found a market in Russia. Since the beginning of the 90s, an unprecedented spread of tobacco smoking in Russia began, and Russia became one of the most smoking countries in the world. Cigarette production in Russia only from 1995 to 2007. grew from 250 to 400 billion pieces.

Tobacco smoking in the history of Europe and especially Russia is a relatively recent acquisition and dates back only a few centuries. Famous heroes of Russian literature Onegin and Pechorin did not smoke. Even at the end of the 20th century, Russian women almost did not smoke, and in schools only “difficult” children smoked. Talking about how we have always smoked this way is a dangerous myth that misleads public opinion and prevents us from taking adequate measures to combat tobacco smoking.

Drugs

Conclusions to Chapter 3

1. The history of mankind is much older than the history of alcohol. Consumption of low-proof alcoholic products over time is no more than 10-25%, and strong alcoholic products - no more than 1.25% of the age of Homo sapiens.
2. When the consciousness-altering properties of some substances were discovered, they were immediately taken under the control of tribal leaders, priests, and shamans. Initially, drugs were used only for religious, religious and medical purposes. The social history of drugs begins later and at first is limited to ritual use in honor of various significant events: the change of seasons, a successful hunt, harvest, etc.
3. The spread of drugs is often facilitated by people's blind faith in the harmlessness of their use and their mythical healing properties. The spread of drugs is often facilitated by the delusions of intellectuals who are in a hurry to share their “discoveries” with the rest of the world.
4. The social history of all “legal” and “illegal” drugs shows that they often become means of manipulating people, economic and political exploitation. As a rule, the inculcation of vices begins “from the top.”
5. The main historical lesson is that the spread of drugs of all stripes and types is based on lies and deception, the purpose of which is exploitation, the desire to live at the expense of others.

Word, drugs, comes from Greek, narcoticos, (numbing, intoxicating). According to statistics, every tenth Russian schoolchild has tried drugs at least once.

Officially, according to the conducted sociological research, over 2 million Russians systematically use drugs, about 4 million people have tried drugs! The vast majority of drug addicts (76%) are people under 30 years of age. Although drug abuse has become one of the world's most important problems as recently as the twentieth century, people's experience with drug use dates back thousands of years.

The first historical records about the distant past of the human race contain evidence that almost all peoples, starting from the prehistoric period, used drugs plant origin because of their unusual abilities - to change established views on the world and illusorily fulfill desires, thereby strengthening a person’s faith in the power of supernatural forces.

There is a hypothesis that back in the early Paleolithic (40,000-10,000 BC) man’s first acquaintance with drugs took place. It is known from documents and historical references that the Sumerians, Chinese, Indians, ancient Greeks, Aztecs and Siberian tribes were well aware of the effects of certain drugs, using them for their own purposes.

In the eighth century, the Arabs expanded the cultivation of poppies from Asia Minor to India and China. They considered the poppy to be a sacred plant that opens the gates of heaven to those who consume it. Hashish was mentioned as a cure for cough and diarrhea in 2737 BC in the clinic of the Chinese Emperor Shen-Nun, although much earlier it was mentioned in legend due to its psychoactive properties. In ancient China, hashish was used as a pain reliever during surgery, and in India it was also used as a medicine. Ancient cultures used hallucinogenic mushrooms for religious purposes. It is known that the drink used during the Elysian Mysteries in ancient Greece was made from mushrooms that alter the state of consciousness and cause unusual visions of a religious nature. Some Siberian tribes, in order to achieve ecstasy and religious visions, ate during ritual rites fly agarics. Among the Samoyeds, there was a widespread custom of drinking the urine of people poisoned by fly agaric, so that the poison thus isolated, without threatening life, could cause mild mystical experiences. The Vikings also knew this mushroom well, and in order to increase combat effectiveness and incite hatred towards the enemy, they consumed it before the fight. In addition to single geographical foci of use various substances, which have psychoactive properties, Europe was unaware of most hard drugs until the late eighteenth century, when the Crusaders brought opium from the Middle East. The first medical drug made from opium was prescribed to a patient in the fifteenth century by the famous Paracelsus. He called opium the stone of immortality and often used it in his practice.

Massive drug use in Europe began in the nineteenth century, during a period when a group of intellectual adventurers began experimenting with their own minds by using drugs imported from Egypt and India. It all started on the day when the French doctor Moreau de Tours, upon returning from Algeria, invited his friends to try Damavesca, a hashish cookie. The effect was stunning, especially for a group of writers who included Charles Baudelaire and Théophile Gautier. A club known as the Hashish Lovers' Club was soon organized, with its headquarters at the Hotel Pimodan in Paris on the banks of the Seine. Members of this club met regularly and consumed hashish in quantities that today can be estimated as very large. Baudelaire had tried opium even earlier. These two great poets immortalized their experiences with hashish and opium: Baudelaire - in, Artificial Paradise, and a poem about hashish; Gautier lived through his experiences with a somewhat introspective approach: My hearing expanded its limits; I heard the sound of colors: green, red, blue and yellow tones came over me in waves and these waves did not mix. Later, other writers and poets of that period joined this club. The most famous of them are Verlaine and Rimbaud. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the American writer F. Lardow promoted the use of marijuana and described his own impressions of its effects. During that period, interest in other means that could change the state of the psyche increased. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is especially popular due to its pharmacological properties and ease of use. 1938 was a very important year in the history of drug addiction. This year, the Swiss chemist Albert Hoffmann succeeded in synthesizing lysergic acid, which was the beginning of mass drug use on a scale that had no precedent in human history. The new drug was named LSD-25. Mescaline was isolated from a Mexican cactus. Drugs belonged to young people and became a symbol of a new vision of the world.

The first consequence of massive drug experimentation was the emergence and development of different lifestyles, determinism and mental exhaustion of many millions of young people around the world. The theme of a substance that heals and brings peace or illness and death recurs as an archetype in all cultures and in all periods of history.

Drugs are present both in classical cultures and in modern civilizations, as well as in the life of wild peoples - from the tundra to the equatorial jungle - and this testifies to the eternal desire of man to overcome his imperfections and to visit at least once, at least for a short time , in a country that exists only in dreams. Unfortunately, the illusion does not last long, and awakening brings an even more painful feeling of alienation. Because of this, drug addiction in our time ceases to be a problem of one individual and acquires the features of a social problem.

The most common types of drugs today are: (Marijuana) hemp

are the dried flowers, seeds and leaves of the Indian hemp plant. On the streets it is called differently: plan, marijuana, straw, greens, grass, Masha, joint, smoke, weed, ganja, grass and other names. For many, marijuana has become something commonplace. There is often cannabis in the pockets of young people. Hashish is a related form of the drug obtained from the milky juice of cannabis. It is also called hashik, plasticine. It is on average six times more potent than marijuana. "Cannabis" is the name for any of the various types of drugs derived from Indian hemp, including marijuana and hashish. Regardless of the name, be it hemp, hashish or marijuana, these drugs are hallucinogens, that is, a substance that distorts the perception of the surrounding world. The chemical that causes this perceptual distortion is called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Marijuana is usually smoked by rolling it into cigarettes (joints), but it is also smoked like tobacco in pipes. Less commonly, marijuana is mixed with food or brewed as tea. Sometimes marijuana users roll out their cigars and remove the tobacco from them, replacing it with marijuana - a method called "blunting". Joints and blunts are sometimes mixed with other stronger drugs, such as crack, cocaine, or PCP (phencyclidine). When a person smokes a joint, they usually begin to feel the effects of the drug within a few minutes.

Marijuana produces sensations such as increased heart rate, decreased coordination and balance, and a “dreamy,” surreal state of mind—the climax occurs within the first 30 minutes of taking the drug. Then, over time, marijuana has less and less of an effect, and these short-term effects gradually fade away over 2-3 hours, but can last longer, depending on how much of the drug was taken, the potency of the THC and the presence of a narcotic mixture of other drugs.

Since, as usual, a person taking a drug inhales more smoke and retains it longer than when smoking a regular cigarette, this in itself causes serious harm to the lungs. In addition to the discomfort of a sore throat and chest pain, smoking one joint has been found to cause cancer-causing deposits. chemical substances in the same amount as if five regular cigarettes were smoked. Marijuana leads to serious consequences in a person’s mental activity. A marijuana smoker has weaker memory and mental abilities compared to those who do not use marijuana. Structural brain damage has been observed in animals given marijuana in studies. Cannabis (from which hashish is derived) has been cultivated for use as a hallucinogen for over 2,000 years, despite the fact that hemp (marijuana) is composed of more than 400 chemicals , the main ingredient that affects the mind is THC. Hemp (marijuana) is defined by its potency by its THC content. Weather, soil and other factors determine the percentage of THC in a plant.

But using modern agricultural technology, hemp varieties have been developed that have much higher levels of THC than before. The average THC level was about 1 percent in 1974, but by 1994 the level had risen to 4 percent. The level of its content in hashish is even higher.

Hemp, which is called "Sensimilla" (Spanish for "without seeds"), contains between 7.5 percent and 24 percent THC. Does marijuana have the same effects as drinking alcohol? Decide for yourself.

Alcohol and marijuana, here are the facts: Alcohol consists of only one substance - ethanol. Marijuana contains more than 400 known chemicals, including some that cause cancer. Alcohol is eliminated from the body after a few hours; THC (marijuana) remains in body fat for months, possibly longer. Thus, a person who smokes 2-3 joints of marijuana per week is under the constant influence of the drug. Marijuana (THC) destroys the immune system. No alcohol.

No attempt is made here to downplay the dangers of alcohol abuse, which is also very harmful. Alcohol, however, can be taken in limited quantities without causing serious harm. Hemp (marijuana), which is used almost exclusively as an intoxicating substance, is much more dangerous, even when taken in small quantities. The reason for this is that the active substances in cannabis continue to accumulate in the fatty tissues of the body.According to data provided by the UN, 200 million people worldwide use marijuana, which is more than 4 percent of the world's population. In 2001 alone, it is estimated that marijuana entered the lives of 2.6 million new users. During one twelve-month period, there were approximately 3.1 million people who used marijuana almost daily.

During 2002, Mexico produced about 7,900 tons of marijuana, Colombia - 4,000 tons. Not surprisingly, 58 percent of teens ages 12 to 17 say marijuana is readily available. Marijuana users in the United States spent approximately $10.5 billion on the drug in 2000.

In 2002, marijuana ranked third on the list of drugs most frequently mentioned by patients in drug treatment facilities.

In 2002, more than 40 percent of people arrested in 36 different areas of the United States tested positive for marijuana in their urine.

Among adults age 26 and older who started using marijuana before age 15, 62 percent switched to cocaine at some point; 9 percent have used heroin at least once in their lives; 54 percent used illegal psychotropic drugs.

Marijuana is the second most common substance (after alcohol) found in the blood of drivers involved in car accidents.

Marijuana causes an increase in heart rate, disorientation, deterioration in coordination of movements, which is replaced by drowsiness. Some feel panic and anxiety. Marijuana is not as simple as it seemed and the problem does not stop there. The active ingredient in cannabis, THC, is stored in fat cells and organs such as the brain, reproductive organs (testicles and ovaries), spleen, liver and lungs, and cannot be excreted from the body into the blood or urine.

Even if you stop using marijuana, you continue to experience physical and mental side effects months and even years afterward. Marijuana continues to have effects.Marijuana and hashish damage the lungs more than smoking tobacco. The risk of lung cancer is many times higher among marijuana smokers than among tobacco smokers. Marijuana contains 50 to 70% more cancer-causing hydrocarbons in smoke than cigarettes, so one joint of marijuana is equivalent to 5 tobacco cigarettes. Chronic marijuana smokers often suffer from bronchitis and inflammation of the respiratory tract.Marijuana changes the structure of sperm cells, deforming them. Thus, marijuana, even in small quantities, can cause temporary sterility in men.Marijuana causes menstrual disorders in women. A pregnant woman who regularly uses marijuana or hashish may give birth prematurely to an underdeveloped child who has not gained enough weight. Studies have shown that the mental functioning of people who smoke a lot of marijuana tends to deteriorate. THC contained in cannabis disrupts the functioning of nerve cells in the brain, which negatively affects memory. Marijuana is not an antidepressant.

Hemp (marijuana) is one of the few drugs that causes abnormal cell division, which leads to severe, inherited defects. Few people know that hemp (marijuana) has such properties.Over the past 10 years, millions of children whose parents used marijuana were born deprived of vitality, less able to concentrate and achieve goals in life. Research has also shown that maternal marijuana use can lead to birth defects in children, intellectual disabilities and an increased risk of leukemia.

MARIJUANA AND IMMEDIATE SIDE EFFECTS

Distortion of perceptions Panic Anxiety Poor motor coordinationSlow reaction timeAfter the initial “take off” the receiver feels drowsy and depressedIncreased heart rate and risk of heart attack.

MARIJUANA AND DELAYED SIDE EFFECTS

Weakened resistance to common diseases (colds, bronchitis, etc.)Immune system suppressionGrowth disordersAn increase in the number of abnormally constructed cells in the bodyDecrease in male sex hormonesRapid destruction of lung fibers and irreversible pathology of brain tissueDecreased sexual potencyLearning difficulties: decreased ability to receive and assimilate informationApathy, drowsiness, lack of motivationChanges in personality and moodInability to be clearly aware of one's surroundings.

ADDRESS TO PARENTS: If you, parents, are reading these lines, think about the following: youth are our future. But what does this future promise us if the leaders of tomorrow's society are crippled by drugs today? Talk to your children. Make time for them. Listen to their problems and let them share their dreams. Support their aspirations. Encourage them a good start, responsibility and independence. Tell them about the dangers of marijuana, other drugs and their use. You can save your child's life with this. Children who learned from their parents about the risks associated with drug use were 36 percent less likely to start smoking marijuana compared to children who were not told anything about it.

ADDRESS TO CHILDREN: This information is intended to provide facts about the dangers posed by drugs and marijuana in particular. Look at these facts and make your own decision. Be prepared to talk to your parents about drugs; your parents can help you. Perverted, unaware or ignorant people are trying to spread the idea that "joints are harmless", marijuana is cool. Unfortunately, too many people fall for this scam. We hope we have helped you avoid becoming one of them. But remember, the best solution to drug addiction is to never start taking drugs in the first place. Marijuana will not make you happy.Drugs, including marijuana, are essentially poisons. The effect depends on the amount taken.

Marijuana in small quantities has a stimulating effect (increased activity). Marijuana in larger quantities acts as a sedative (suppressing activity). In even larger quantities, marijuana acts as a poison and can be fatal.This is true of any drug, marijuana or anything else. Only the amount required to achieve any effect differs.Marijuana has another side effect: marijuana affects the mind directly. By activating incidents from a person’s past at a level below his awareness, marijuana can disrupt the adequacy of his perception of the world around him. As a result, a person's actions become strange, irrational, inappropriate and even destructive.Marijuana blocks all sensations, replacing desirable ones with unwanted ones. So, while marijuana provides temporary relief from pain and suffering, marijuana also reduces a person's ability, alertness, and mental fog. Long-term drug use robs life of pleasure and joy, which, in fact, are the reason for living. In the end, a person faces a choice: drugs and death or life without drugs. Marijuana is a drug.

Nasvay

Nasvay(nasybay, us) - a nicotine-containing product, a drug. Nasvay are small green balls, grains with unpleasant smell and taste.
Nasvay made at home. The main components of nasvay are shag or tobacco, formerly a plant of us. The composition may also include: slaked lime (chicken droppings or camel dung can be used instead of lime), components of various plants, oil. To improve the taste, seasonings are sometimes added to nasvay. Nasvay easy to manufacture and low cost.
Most of the components of the mixture are designed to perform a form-building function when granulating dusty waste from tobacco production. Lime changes the acidity of the environment and promotes the absorption of nicotine into the blood through the mucous membrane of the oral cavity.

Nasvay appearance is described differently. In some cases, nasvay is green balls, in others it is a grayish-brown powder. Fresh nasvay looks like large, soaked, green grains, while stale nasvay looks more like powder and is almost black in color.
Some manufacturers are too lazy to granulate "us" ( nasvay) and sell it in powder.
Previously, nasvay was made in the form of small peas, and then they switched to sticks, which are formed after passing the mass through a meat grinder. There are signs of a transition to larger-scale production throughout. Nasvay is becoming a popular and accessible drug.
Nasvay is not manufactured in a factory. Its production is organized at home (where else can you find such an abundance of camel dung or chicken droppings).

Officially, “nasvay” is tobacco dust mixed with glue, lime, water or vegetable oil, rolled into balls. In Central Asia, where nasvay is very popular, the recipes for its preparation are different, and often there is no tobacco dust in the mixture at all. It is replaced with more active components.
“Nasvay is definitely an officially approved psychoactive drug,” says Alexey Nadezhdin, head of the Clinical Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Narcology at the Research Institute of Narcology of the Russian Ministry of Health.

Nasvay, consumption

Nasvay put it in the mouth, trying to avoid getting it on the lips, which in this case become covered with blisters. Swallowing saliva or grains of potion can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, which is also very unpleasant. And the resulting pleasure - slight dizziness, tingling in the arms and legs, blurred vision - lasts no more than 5 minutes. The main reason teenagers give for taking nasvay is that they don’t want to smoke after it. But nasvayIn fact, it is not a substitute, but rather tobacco that harms the body. And do not be deceived that reducing the nicotine content to some extent solves the problem. “Nasvayshchiki” compensate for the loss by increasing the quantity and changing the quality of the mixture. The only difference is that tobacco smoke hits the lungs first, while nasvay hits the oral mucosa and gastrointestinal tract. The same nicotine addiction . By the way, according to the Uzbekistan Republican Cancer Center, more than 80 percent of patients diagnosed with cancer of the oral cavity and larynx consumed nasvay.In markets, nasvay is sold on a par with tobacco products and seeds. For 10 tenge (an incredibly meager amount) you can buy a sachet, which is enough for about 30 doses. The main consumers of nasvay are teenagers aged 13-15 years. In general, all this looks quite deplorable. So it's better to eat something else. Now it becomes clear what nasvay is.

Nasvay, impact:

Slight dizziness
Tingling in hands and feet
Blurred vision

Nasvay side effects:

Consumption of nasvay can lead to addiction and further physical abnormalities in the functioning of the body and peculiar sensations, such as:
Autonomic disorders
Sweating
Orthostatic collapse (a condition in which, with a sudden change in body position, a person experiences dizziness and dark vision)
Fainting state.
Increased risk of developing rare cancers
Dental diseases;
Diseases of the oral mucosa;
Diseases of the esophageal mucosa;

Nasvayvarious types are known: Tashkent, Fergana, Andijan and others. Over the past five years, nasvay has become very popular in Central Asian countries, especially among seventh and eighth graders. School corridors are increasingly painted a green, “pile” color and take on the smell of a chicken coop. Regular cleaning and bleach do not have time to cope with the new youth fashion. I must say that using nasvay is a very troublesome task. Some people think that nasvay is a harmless substance.

Nasvay, short-term impact

Severe local burning of the oral mucosa, heaviness in the head, and later in all parts of the body, apathy, sudden salivation, dizziness, muscle relaxation. Some have suggested that the effects of nasvay may be less severe in those with a history of smoking tobacco, but this is not the case. Nasvay will not replace smoking cigarettes. Those who use nasvay for a long time cease to notice such manifestations as burning, unpleasant odor and taste of this strange potion. But this is probably when the smell becomes obvious to everyone around you. Consumers also warn beginners not to combine nasvay with alcohol due to the unpredictability of the effects. When using nasvay, it is very easy to get a dose from which you can suddenly feel uneasy, and you can even lose consciousness, since it is very difficult to calculate your dose.

Nasvay long-term consequences of consumption

Nasvay, geography

It is believed that nasvay is part of the traditional culture of Central Asian countries. However, according to experts from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, last years it has become more popular in Central Asian countries, especially among seventh and eighth grade students. In Kazakhstan, for 10 tenge you can buy a sachet, which is enough for about 30 doses. In the markets of Central Asian countries, nasvay is sold on a par with tobacco products and seeds. In Kyrgyzstan, the price of a bag is 2 soms (1 dollar = 41 soms), that is, also about 5 cents. When nasvay is delivered, for example, to Russia, then, according to data, the same bag already costs 10 or 100 rubles. This increase in price, in fact, is the main interest of organizing a delivery network.

According to the association of tobacco distributors "Grandtabak", in the first half of 2004, the Russian volume of imports of "chewing tobacco "nasvay"" amounted to almost 67 tons (total value of 16.5 thousand dollars). The invoice price of "nasvay" ranged from 15 cents/kg to 1.1 dollars/kg. The cheapest "nasvay" came from the traditional exporter - Kazakhstan. But in the same year, supplies of “nasvay” also began from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Particularly alarming is the export of “nasvay” (price 1.1 dollars/kg) from Tajikistan, which is recognized as the largest center for the distribution of Afghan drugs.

According to Financial Izvestia, “nasvay” is officially imported into Russia by a single importer - an individual private enterprise (IPE), formed by an entrepreneur from Kazakhstan. Of course, no one knows about the volume of unofficial imports. Nasvay is distributed in markets. A Financial Izvestia correspondent purchased a nasvay from one of them at a price of 10 rubles. per bag with 25 grams of the mixture, which means that the retail price is a hundred times more than what is declared at customs.

According to press reports, nasvay is already a serious problem for drug addiction specialists in many Russian regions. Yaroslavl drug addiction doctors and drug police are sounding the alarm: schoolchildren are addicted to a new dope.

Among schoolchildren in Bashkiria, it is widely believed that nasvay helps fight smoking and cleans teeth better than any toothpaste.

In the markets of Volga region cities, nasvay is already sold on a par with tobacco products and seeds. For 100 rubles you can buy a sachet, which is enough for 20 doses, and the main consumers of “nasvay” are teenagers 12-15 years old.

If before nasvay was unknown and a couple of years ago on the Russian-language Internet you could find no more than five mentions of nasvay, now there are dozens of pages completely dedicated to him. Nasvay appears in many stories relating to Central Asian countries. Forums have appeared where visitors who obviously did poorly at school talk about their experiences and discuss nasvay. Recipes for making it and impressions of who used nasvay are shared via the Internet.

Nasvay, myths spread by consumers

1. Any drug, be it chicken droppings or camel dung (of which nasvay is made), is always consumed for the sake of a “unique life experience.” This is precisely the idea that experienced consumers instill in newbies, usually not talking about their experience of vomiting or diarrhea.

3. The main reason teenagers give for putting nasvay is that they don’t want to smoke after it. Some representnasvayas a means of stopping smoking, others - as a substitute for tobacco, when you don’t want to give yourself away with smell or smoke. Nasvay is often mentioned as tobacco for athletes who do not want to stain their lungs with tar. However, nasvay is not a substitute, but the same tobacco that harms the body. If the goal is to find a means of smoking cessation or a tobacco substitute, and at the same time take it by mouth, then for this there are legal and licensed drugs with a known effect - chewing gum containing nicotine, which is sold in pharmacies without a doctor's prescription , but nasvay is no help for this.

4. “The arrival is quick, you can relax during a break between classes or during a break at school,” - obviously, this is what is instilled in teenagers who are offered nasvay right at school.

5. Referring to Tashkent dentists, consumers claim that nasvay helps protect teeth from caries. On the other hand, honest consumers write that they can say goodbye to their teeth.

6. Narcologists report that relatives brought “nasvay” to some of their patients, saying that it helps fight drug addiction.

Nasvay? Here are the answers

1. They say that nasvay gives you a buzz, but what do we get in return: the disgusting behavior of those who chik - a protruding lip, constant spitting, a fucked-up face; Besides this - all sorts of diseases, such as hepatitis and cancer of the lip and stomach. And all this for 10 minutes of mild euphoria?

2. Nasvay- a clear example of the fact that a drug user experiences exactly the high he expects. If nasvay does not contain other psychoactive substances besides tobacco, why should it cause more sensations than an ordinary cigarette?

3. Nasvay consumers are a typical toy in the hands of the drug business. Enterprising people in Central Asia mix waste from tobacco production with waste from crops and livestock and, taking advantage of the fact that none of these substances are formally prohibited, they create a fashion for a new drug among young peoplenasvay, which can be sold for more money the further from Central Asia it is taken.

4. Nasvay contains excrement of birds and animals. Are they worthy of being put into a person's mouth? Wouldn't it be better to eat something else?

Since nasvay does not have the status of a narcotic substance, the fight against it so far comes down to only attempts to explain what it is. Explain, including to parents and teachers, on whose attentiveness we can only hope.

Unlike those drugs that are on the list of substances, the distribution and consumption of which are being tried to be suppressed by the authorities fighting drug addiction and drug trafficking, people who make money from transporting and distributing nasvay cannot yet be brought to criminal liability either where it is produced (then found in the countries of Central Asia), nor where it is delivered for distribution among teenagers for much more money.

Those who are faced with the nasvay problem and are trying to find ways to solve it are forced to admit that there are no legal grounds for serious action. The barriers to a solution are that drug experts and law enforcement agencies claim that this is not a drug, is not included in the list of goods prohibited for sale, which means it has the right to life and cannot be confiscated. No one contacted the SES to check the quality, and there were no complaints about the product. It seems that “nasvay” does not have an official portrait and does not seem to exist for the authorities. There are no patients, no complaints, the composition has not been studied in laboratories, clinical studies have not been conducted, no directives have been received from above, the question itself disappears.

In the absence of an appropriate legislative framework, systematic development of the consumer market is underway, so to speak, quiet marketing. When at a parents’ meeting of “one of the schools in one Volga city” it turned out that schoolchildren, instead of gnawing on the granite of science, were chewing this very litter-containing “nasvay”, imported by “persons of Central Asian nationality,” - there was a real commotion. Having carried out a raid on the city's markets, employees of the department of educational work and social protection of children, the education department of the mayor's office discovered that "nasvay" is freely sold in all central markets, as well as in small and very tiny bazaars and bazaars of the city. How to make teenagers understand that nasvay is not a panacea for smoking, but a deception of themselves and their parents, and that this is the first step to consuming stronger drugs. Our task is to convey to parents and children that “nasvay” is not any kind of preventive measure against smoking, but is the first step to a stronger addiction.

By the way, in 2001, Article 8 of EU Directive No. 2001/37 banned the production and sale of any tobacco used orally, except for classic chewing tobacco. In Russia, “nasvay” is assigned OST 102632000.

Recently, employees of the Office of the Federal Service of the Russian Federation of the Republic of Bashkortostan for Drug Control set the task of defining the legislative concept of nasvay. Requests were sent to medical institutions to analyze this substance. If nasvay is recognized as an intoxicating substance, its distribution will be prohibited.

According to the decree of President Niyazov, dated August 13, 2004, it is prohibited to use nasvay in ministries and departments, in enterprises and organizations, military units, at border posts, in all educational and children's institutions, theaters, in all types of public and individual transport, parks, etc. d. In addition, Niyazov’s decision imposed a ban on selling nasvay in all retail outlets, except for specially designated areas. In Ashgabat, these are markets where livestock are sold, mainly located outside the city; in other populated areas of the country, local authorities will determine the places where this tobacco product is sold.

Citizens of Turkmenistan who use “us” in public places are fined in the amount of two minimum wages (about $85), and sellers in the amount of four minimum wages (about $170).

Obviously, the main thing is that the epidemic spread of nasvay consumption was the result of a legislative hole that allows enterprising people to make money out of crap, sacrificing the health and future of children. In order to solve this problem, and legal grounds have emerged, changes in national legislation are necessary in those countries that are already experiencing the effects of the new drug.

Nasvay causes infertility

By consuming nasvay, sperm production stops, reproductive function is disrupted, and there is practically no chance of its restoration - Institute of Medical Problems of the Academy of Sciences. The Institute of Medical Problems of the National Academy of Sciences (Osh, Kyrgyzstan) conducted a study of the effect of using nasvay on the reproductive function of men. “Doctors knew theoretically that nasvay causes great harm to the body,” says the director of the institute, candidate of medical sciences Rakmanbek Toychuev. “For the first time, we conducted a systemic toxicological examination of 50 men of reproductive age - residents of Osh and the Kara-Suu district, who consulted doctors about infertility.” The harm that causes nasvay, does not depend on the duration of its use. Nasvay can strike immediately, it depends on the individual characteristics of the body. The biggest danger is that by consuming nasvay, sperm production stops, reproductive function is disrupted, and there is practically no chance of its restoration.

Nasvay is completely imported from Central Asia. It is not possible to regulate the promotion of this product today. In our country there is an anti-smoking law, but nasvai do not smoke. According to the regional press, “nasvay” is already a serious problem among drug addiction specialists in many Russian regions. Among schoolchildren in Bashkiria, for example, there is a widespread belief that “nasvay” helps fight tobacco smoking and cleans teeth better than any toothpaste. Teachers cannot fight the intoxicating potion - the product is allowed for use without any restrictions.

Pervitin and methamphetamines

The insidious stimulant traps you in a vicious circle of exhaustion... or death.

What is methamphetamine?

Methamphetamine or METH is a white crystalline drug. Methamphetamine is taken by injection, snorting (inhalation through the nose), or smoking. Methamphetamine is also taken orally, but either route produces an equally strong addiction. Methamphetamine causes false feelings of happiness and well-being, a surge of confidence, hyperactivity and energy. They usually last from 6 to 8 hours, but can last up to 24 hours. When you take methamphetamine, you get pleasure from the first dose, but from the first dose your life begins to fall apart.

What is Pervitin?

Pervitin This is the domestic name for methamphetamine. Pervitin (methamphetamine) ) is illegal and belongs to the class of cocaine and other powerful street drugs. Here are its most common street names: screw , ice, hairdryer, mef, amfa, phenamine, methamphetamine , Fenya, chalk, speed and speed.

Pervitin (methamphetamine) is an inexpensive drug that is quite easy to make homemade, which makes Pervitin accessible and widespread. Pervitin (vint) is used by people of all ages, but most often at parties in nightclubs as a “club drug”. Pervitin, a dangerous and powerful chemical drug, methamphetamine. Like all drugs, Pervitin (methamphetamine) is a poison that initially acts as a stimulant, but then quickly begins to destroy the body. Methamphetamine causes serious health problems, including memory loss, aggression, psychotic behavior, cardiovascular damage and brain damage.

Pervitin burns up the body's resources, quickly creating a debilitating addiction that can only be alleviated by taking an additional dose. Methamphetamines have a very strong impact, and many of those who use them report becoming “hooked” (addicted) to methamphetamines the first time they try them. “I tried Pervitin just once and that’s it! I became a drug addict,” says a pervitin worker who lost first his family, then his friends, then his profession as a musician and, in the end, ended up on the street. This methamphetamine is one of the new types of drug addiction and is very difficult to treat, and many have died from its grip.

What does PERVITIN look like?

Pervitin usually comes in powder form. It is odorless, bitter in taste, and easily dissolves in water and alcohol. Meet pervitin brown, gray-yellow, orange or even pink. This methamphetamine is also available in tablets. As mentioned earlier, Pervitin is inhaled, smoked, and administered intravenously. Due to one of the forms in the form of large crystals resembling ice, pervitin or methamphetamine is most often called that.

PERVITIN, STREET NAMES
Screw
Chalk
Phenamine
Ice
Hairdryer
Liquid gunpowder
Ampha
Speed
AIDS
Mef
Black beauty
Alarm
Chief
Fast
Synthetics
Marza
Amphik
Chatterbox
Amer
Oil
Martsovka
Rubber
Marcephalus
Mulka
Ephedrone
Phenamine
Bolt
Brew
Force
Screw
Crystal
Chatterbox
Marzival
Chicken
Bodyaga

What are methamphetamines made from?

Methamphetamineis a synthetic, “man-made” chemical, unlike, for example, cocaine, which is released from plants.Methamphetamineusually produced in illegal clandestine laboratories from various forms of amphetamines or their derivatives, which are mixed with other chemicals to enhance their effects. Conventional medicines, such as cold drops, are used as the basis for the production of this drug. A methamphetamine "cooker" separates the drugs' active ingredients, pseudoephedrine (a chemical derived from another drug called amphetamine), and combines it with dangerous and even deadly ingredients such as battery acid, drain cleaner and antifreeze to increase the potency of the drug. .The production of methamphetamines uses dangerous chemicals that are explosive. Because the ingredients used evaporate, and because meth makers are drug addicts and disoriented themselves, they are often severely burned and maimed, or even killed, when their brew (the meth) explodes. Accidents like these endanger neighbors in nearby homes and other buildings.Illegal methamphetamine labs also produce a lot of toxic waste: the production of 1 kilogram of methamphetamine produces 5 kilograms of waste. People who have access to this waste can become poisoned and become ill.

Methamphetamines - a worldwide drug epidemic

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that production of amphetamine stimulants, including methamphetamine, is 500 tons per year. However, more than 40 million people have used methamphetamines in the last 12 months alone.In Russia, according to law enforcement, in the overall structure of drugs that are manufactured and used in drug dens, 52% is pervitin (“vint”) or methamphetamine, 41% is heroin, 7% is marijuana.

The strengthening of the fight against the spread of drugs of plant origin such as opium and hemp, as well as the relative high cost of heroin, created conditions for the development of the illegal handicraft production of pervitin, which is in great demand among young people. The worst thing is pervitin very cheap. Its preparation is not a complicated science at all. And all components can be bought at almost any Moscow market. Moreover, a small group of guys, united, can buy these components, and only 10 dollars is enough to prepare 6-8 milliliters (“doses”) of the solution. This methamphetamine very widespread in the Czech Republic. It was there that methamphetamine was called pervitin. It is produced in small clandestine laboratories. The bulk is sold on the local market, the rest of the methamphetamines are exported to other European countries and Canada. 52% of all people seeking help in the Czech Republic are methamphetamine addicts. Throughout the rest of Europe, the percentage of methamphetamine addicts varies from 0.5% to 6% from country to country. It is highest in the UK, where 12% of adults said they had used methamphetamine.

In Southeast Asia, the most common form of methamphetamine is a small tablet called yaba in Thailand and shabu in the Philippines.

Pervitin and the deadly consequences of taking it

Pervitin creates a false sense of well-being and strength, which makes you want to force your body to move faster than it can. Therefore, after methamphetamine wears off, drug addicts experience a deep decline, physical and mental breakdown.After taking it for a long time, the natural feeling of hunger is muffled, and the person loses a lot of weight.Negative consequences also include restless sleep, hyperactivity, nausea, the illusion of omnipotence, increased aggressiveness and irritability. Other symptoms of concern include insomnia, confusion, hallucinations, anxiety, paranoia, and the desire to attack someone. Sometimes pervitin causes severe convulsions, leading to death.

Pervitin and the consequences of long-term use

Long-term use of pervitin leads to irreversible consequences. Excessive increases in blood pressure and heart rate destroy the blood vessel channels in the brain, which can cause a stroke.An uneven heartbeat can cause a heart attack. The liver, kidneys and lungs are seriously damaged.There are clear indicators of brain damage, leading to memory loss and an inability to perceive abstract ideas. Even those who stop taking Pervitin experience memory loss and sudden mood swings.

Methamphetamines and the harm they cause

PERVITIN, IMMEDIATE SIDE EFFECTS

Loss of appetite, nausea
Increased heart rate, increased blood pressure and temperature
Pupil dilation
Restless sleep
Unnatural, strange behavior, sometimes violent
Hallucinations, hyperexcitability, irritability
Panic and psychosis
Overdose can cause convulsions, seizures and death

PERVITIN, DELAYED SIDE EFFECTS

Permanent damage to blood vessels in the heart and brain, high blood pressure leading to heart attacks, strokes and death
Damage to the liver, kidneys and lungs
Destruction of tissue in the nose if the drug is inhaled
Difficulty breathing if the drug is smoked
Infection and suppuration if the drug is administered intravenously
Exhaustion, weight loss
Tooth decay
Disorientation, apathy, devastation and confusion
Strong psychological dependence
Psychosis
Depression
Brain damage similar to Alzheimer's disease, shock and epilepsy

How Pervitin affects people's lives

When people take Pervitin, it affects their lives to a greater or lesser extent. There are three degrees of dependence on pervitin:

LOW DEPENDENCE: These are those drug addicts who swallow or snort Pervitin. They take methamphetamine to get extra stimulation, to prolong the time they are awake, and so on, when they need to complete an urgent task, work, or suppress their appetite and thereby lose weight. Just one step separates them from the next stage of addiction.

AVERAGE DEGREE OF DEPENDENCE: These are those drug addicts who smoke or inject Pervitin into a vein. These, already experiencing a more intense effect of the drug and experiencing a stronger “high,” no longer develop a weak psychological dependence. They don't have long to reach the next level of addiction.

HIGH DEGREE OF DEPENDENCE: Drug addicts with high pervitin dependence are often called “screws.” Their entire existence is dedicated to preventing withdrawal, the painful withdrawal of narcotic excitement. But, as with other drugs, the dose now needs to be increased to get the same pleasure, forcing the addict to go to great lengths to find Pervitin.

Pervitin, stages of exposure

1 “Coming” means the beginning of the drug’s effects. The benefits from pervitin are: a significant increase in heart rate, one might say, a huge acceleration of metabolism, a jump in blood pressure. Unlike the high caused by crack, which lasts approximately 2-5 minutes, the high from Pervitin can last up to 30 minutes.

2 "High". The high follows the high. During the "coming" the person often becomes more aggressive and argumentative, often interrupting other people and finishing sentences they started. The intoxicating effect can lead a person to obsess over anything, for example, he can continuously clean the same window for several hours. The state of drug intoxication can last from 4 to 16 hours.

3 Catch up - uncontrolled use of drugs or alcohol. This is explained by the desire to prolong the high by taking additional doses of Pervitin, smoking another cigarette, or injecting an additional dose intravenously. This condition can last up to 3-15 days. During this period, a person’s activity increases unusually. Each time the addict takes an additional dose, he experiences an additional, but smaller, rush and, in the end, he experiences neither a rush nor a high.

4 Withdrawal. When a Pervitin user no longer achieves either the high or the high from the drug (no matter how large a dose was taken in an attempt to "catch up"), it is at its most dangerous. Unable to get rid of the terrible feeling of emptiness and melancholy, he loses awareness of himself. Sometimes this is accompanied by severe itching, and the person feels as if insects are crawling under his skin. Insomnia often brings him to a state of complete psychosis, and the person is exclusively in his own world, feeling and perceiving something that does not exist in reality. His hallucinations are so clear that for him they become reality and, cut off from the surrounding reality, the addict becomes hostile. This makes him dangerous to himself and others. There is a very high risk of causing serious injury. This is what methamphetamine ultimately does.

5 Depressed. For passionate addicts, the body is no longer able to cope with the drug, it refuses to function, and the person is drawn to long, uninterrupted sleep. Even the most avid and experienced pervitin addict during depression becomes almost corpse-like and poses absolutely no threat. Depression can last about 1-3 days. Methamphetamine takes over a person completely.

6 Hangover. After a deep depression, a person is in a terrible state, he is very hungry, his body is dehydrated, the person is physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. This period usually lasts from two to fourteen days. During this period, the dependence intensifies even more, since the only solution is to take another dose of Pervitin.

7 Excommunication. Usually it is only after 30 to 90 days that the addict realizes that he is leaving. While he is depressed, he loses his energy and ability to experience pleasure without drugs. And he has an irresistible desire to take a dose of Pervitin again. This desire drives him almost to suicide. Weaning off Pervitin is extremely painful and difficult. 93% of those who were in treatment returned to this drug again.

Methamphetamines, history

Pervitin (methamphetamine) is not a modern drug, although in recent years it has become very widespread due to the “development” of production technology.Amphetamine was first synthesized in Germany in 1887, and methamphetamine, more powerful and easier to use, was developed in Japan in 1919. The crystalline powder dissolved in water, making methamphetamine suitable for injection.

Methamphetamine became widely used during World War II to stimulate troops, and was used on both sides of the front line. Methamphetamines were given in huge doses to Japanese kamikaze pilots before their suicide missions. After the war, the widespread use of intravenous methamphetamine became a real epidemic. Methamphetamines, intended for military use, became available to ordinary Japanese. In the fifties, methamphetamine was prescribed to patients as a means of combating excess weight and depression. Because methamphetamine was readily available, students, truck drivers, and athletes used it as a stimulant. This is how methamphetamine and drug addiction spread. The sixties saw a surge in methamphetamine addiction as methamphetamine became even more accessible. After the US government outlawed most forms of methamphetamines in the seventies, American motorcycle gangs took control of much of the drug's production and distribution. At that time, most drug addicts lived in villages and could not afford expensive cocaine, but they could afford methamphetamine. In the nineties, Mexican drug traffickers set up large laboratories in California that could produce up to 20 kilograms of methamphetamine per week. It became possible to manufacture methamphetamine in the apartment kitchen. This is how it got the name “brew”. Methamphetamine spread throughout the United States, and from there throughout Europe through the Czech Republic. In the USSR, methamphetamine, or vint, began to be brewed in the 60s from a medicine for bronchial asthma called “Solutan” (Czechoslovakia). Kamikaze pilots were given methamphetamines to fuel their suicide missions.

Methamphetamines kill

Drugs, including methamphetamines, in fact, are poisons. The effect depends on the amount taken.A small amount has a stimulating effect (increased activity). Methamphetamine in larger quantities acts as a sedative (suppressing activity). In even larger quantities, methamphetamine acts as a poison and can be fatal.This is true of any drug. Only the amount required to achieve any effect differs. But pervitin(methamphetamine) has another side effect: Pervitin affects the mind directly. By activating incidents from a person’s past at a level below his awareness, methamphetamines can disrupt the adequacy of his perception of the world around him. As a result, a person's actions become strange, irrational, inappropriate and even destructive.

Pervitin and other methamphetamines block all sensations, replacing desirable ones with unwanted ones. So, while methamphetamines provide temporary relief from pain and suffering, they also reduce a person's ability, alertness, and mental fog. Long-term drug use robs life of pleasure and joy, which, in fact, are the reason for living. In the end, a person is faced with a choice: methamphetamines and death, or life without drugs. No matter how horrific the consequences of drug use may be, no matter how hopeless the situation may seem to the addict, there is a solution and, in a broader sense, the war on drugs can be won. First you need to understand why a person becomes addicted to methamphetamine. Living and growing up in our world can be difficult. But in fact, seemingly ordinary things can do miracles. For example, proper nutrition and even just long walks, during which you need to look at the surrounding objects until your attention switches to the outside world and the tension subsides. Discussing problems with a friend, priest, or close relative can also help. For those who are already faced with the problem of drug addiction, there is also a solution to cope with addiction, this is a rehabilitation program. After this program they never return to drugs. But the right decision is not to even start taking methamphetamines. No matter how difficult the problems that you want to solve by resorting to drugs, the consequences of taking drugs are always a much worse problem. Methamphetamine is a long and inexorable slide into hell.

Cocaine

What is cocaine?

Cocaine is a drug in powder form (cocaine) or crystalline form (crack). Cocaine is usually used with sugar, novocaine, amphetamine and other drugs similar to novocaine. Derived from coca leaves, cocaine was originally synthesized as a pain reliever. Most often, cocaine is snorted. The powder enters the bloodstream through the tissues of the nose. Sometimes cocaine swallowed or rubbed into other mucous tissues, such as gums. To get the drug into the body as quickly as possible, some drug addicts inject cocaine intravenously, however, this greatly increases the risk of overdose. Inhaling cocaine in the form of smoke or vapor speeds up the absorption process with less risk to life than with injections.Cocaine, deadly white powder

Cocaine is one of the most insidious drugs known to mankind.Once you start taking cocaine, it becomes almost impossible to get rid of its power. Physiologically, cocaine stimulates nerve endings in the brain that monitor changes in the body, causing a euphoria that is very quickly addictive. But the effect can be repeated only by constantly increasing the dose.CocaineIt is considered a "drug for the rich", but it can also be purchased at low prices to try. However, once a person becomes addicted to cocaine, their costs skyrocket, depending on how much it takes to satisfy the habit. The cocaine trade generates multibillion-dollar profits. Cocaine users include people of all ages, backgrounds and financial means; Even children over eight years old are no exception. Death from respiratory failure, stroke, cerebral hemorrhage, heart attack - this is the usual end of cocaine happiness.Children of drug addict mothers are born with drug addiction. Many of them birth defects and many other health conditions.But deadly cocaine still thrives.The road to hell remains open.

Cocaine, street names:

Aunt Nora
Ball
Frost
Refined sugar
Koksik
Si
Charlie
Coca
Dust
Looseness
Plague
Nyuhara
Paradise
Sneeze
Shmyg
Snow
Veselukha
White

Cocaine, statistics

In Russia, cocaine use is a growing problem. The domestic drug market is now expanding due to “hard” drugs, which include cocaine along with heroin and other drugs. With demand for marijuana declining over the past five years, cocaine use has increased tenfold. Smuggling has increased significantly; cocaine is imported into Russia from the Baltic states and Poland. The importation of cocaine through Ukraine continues. Sometimes cocaine comes from Transcaucasia or the Far Eastern region.

Cocaine, coke, coconut, or as it is also called “first”, enjoys the reputation of an elite drug, since in Russia it costs three to four times more than heroin. The price of cocaine in Russia starts from $150 per dose (that is, $30,000 per kilogram).It is usually sold to people with high incomes. And although in Russia cocaine is still in the same demand as in Europe or America, its popularity is growing along with the growing well-being of our citizens. Cocaine is becoming fashionable.Almost every dance club owner in Europe, as studies show, is addicted to cocaine.

With the increase in the number of nightclubs and dance floors, the demand for cocaine is also growing. The situation in the world is as follows: in North America (Canada, Mexico, USA), cocaine abuse is the main problem in the field of drug addiction (40% of those applying to rehabilitation centers). In Europe, this problem is even more acute. Spain has taken first place in the world in cocaine consumption, ahead of the United States in this indicator. This is data from a report provided to the UN by Spain's anti-drug department. According to this information, in Spain 2.6% of the population uses cocaine, in the USA - 2.5%, in Ireland - 2.4%, in the UK - 2.1% use cocaine. Next come Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Australia, Panama and other countries. Russia has also seen an increase in demand for cocaine.

Why is cocaine so addictive?

In terms of strength, cocaine addiction is second only to addiction to Pervitin. Cocaine affects the brain, causing intense euphoria. Addiction to cocaine develops faster when it is smoked. To re-experience cocaine pleasure, the addict has to increase the dose, since the previous one is no longer enough. The cocaine gets stronger every time.

Deadly combination of drugs. Sometimes cocaine is taken with other drugs, such as tranquilizers, or mixed with Pervitin, marijuana and heroin, which increases the risk of overdose. The dose may be fatal or cause dependence on all drugs at once.

Cocaine, consequences of taking it

Immediately after a cocaine high, deep depression, irritability and an all-consuming desire to take even more of the drug sets in. Cocaine controls you. Appetite and sleep disappear, the pulse increases very much, spasms and cramps cramp the muscles. Cocaine changes the perception of the world. The person behaves paranoidly, showing anger, malice, and anxiety. Regardless of dose, cocaine increases the likelihood of heart attacks and causes respiratory failure; both can cause sudden death. What are the long-term effects of taking cocaine? The word “addict” was originally used many years ago precisely to express the negative consequences that result from constant use of cocaine. As addiction increases, so does the dose of cocaine needed to maintain the high. Long-term daily use of cocaine leads to insomnia and loss of appetite. The person becomes psychotic and may experience hallucinations. As cocaine becomes part of the brain's processing of chemicals, the person needs more and more of the drug to feel "normal." People who become addicted to cocaine (as is the case with many other drugs) lose interest in other areas of life. A person's attempt to stop taking cocaine causes such severe depression that the person will do anything - even murder - to get the drug. If you cannot get cocaine, then depression can lead a person to suicide.

COCAINE, IMMEDIATE SIDE EFFECTS

Loss of appetite
Increased heart rate, increased blood pressure and temperature
Constriction of peripheral blood vessels
Dyspnea
Pupil dilation
Restless sleep
Nausea
Excessive excitement
Strange, unstable behavior, violent tendencies
Hallucinations, hyperarousal and irritability
Tactile hallucinations that create the illusion that insects are crawling under the skin
Strong need for drugs
Painful anxiety and paranoia
Intense euphoria
Depression
Panic and psychosis
Overdose (even a single dose) can lead to convulsions, seizures and unexpected death

TURNING TO ASHES: damage to the heart, kidneys, brain and lungs, this is cocaine, the path leading to destruction and death.

COCAINE, DELAYED SIDE EFFECTS

Cocaine Causes Permanent Damage to Blood Vessels in the Heart and Brain
High blood pressure leading to heart attacks, strokes and death
Destruction of the liver, kidneys and lungs
Destruction of nasal tissue (by inhaling the drug)
Difficulty breathing (from smoking)
Infectious diseases and infections during intravenous administration
Loss of appetite and weight
Severe tooth decay
Auditory and tactile hallucinations
Sexual disorders, reproductive disorders and infertility (men and women)
Disorientation, apathy and exhaustion
Irritability and mood swings
Delirium and psychosis
Severe depression
Habituation and dependence (even after one dose)

Cocaine, Children are innocent victims

You often hear the statement: “Yes, I do cocaine, but that’s my business!” However, drug addiction always has innocent victims, from adventurers who accidentally get in the way to those who die in car accidents, when a “stoned” drug addict was driving. In the beginning, someone offers them cocaine, and then they are already the victim.

It is even more sad to say that the victims are the newborn children of drug-addicted mothers who are addicted to cocaine.

In the United States alone, tens of thousands of cocaine-exposed babies are born each year. Even those who are not addicted often suffer from other physical problems, including premature birth, low birth weight, delayed growth and development, birth defects, and brain and nervous system damage similar to how cocaine affects children.

Children born underweight die in the first month of life twenty times more often than those born normal. They are also more likely to suffer from incurable illnesses such as mental retardation and cerebral palsy. Cocaine causes irreparable harm to society and has not yet been fully assessed.

Cocaine: A Brief History

Coca is the oldest, one of the strongest and one of the most dangerous stimulants of natural origin.Three thousand years before Christ, the ancient Incas in the Andes chewed coca leaves to speed up their heart rate and breathing in order to survive in the thin air in the mountains. Indigenous Peruvians chewed coca leaves exclusively during religious ceremonies.

In 1886, cocaine gained even more popularity when John Pemberton included coca leaves as an ingredient in his new soft drink, Coca-Cola. The euphoric and stimulating effects on consumers contributed to the rise in popularity of Coca-Cola at the turn of the century. This is how cocaine began to move towards its popularity.

Cocaine use in society increased and the threat posed by cocaine gradually became more visible. By 1905, snorting cocaine through the nose had become popular, and within five years, hospitals and medical literature began reporting cases of damage to nasal tissue caused by cocaine use.

The increased use of cocaine has made the problems it causes visible. And this, in the end, led to public demands to ban cocaine and its mass consumption. In 1903, public pressure forced the Coca-Cola Company to stop using coca in soft drinks. In 1912, the United States government reported that cocaine was responsible for 5,000 deaths, and by 1922, cocaine was officially banned. You pay a huge price for the euphoric effects of coca.

FREUD AND THE “MAGIC” OF COCAINE

In the 1970s, cocaine became the new fashionable drug among artists and business people.Cocaine seemed like the perfect companion to a luxurious, eventful life. It “gave energy” and helped people stay “vigorous.”Cocaine gained this reputation partly thanks to Sigmund Freud. In 1884, Freud published an article entitled "Uber Coca" ("On Coca"), in which he extolled cocaine's "benefits", calling it a "magical" substance. At the same time, Freud was not an objective observer, since he himself regularly took cocaine. Freud prescribed cocaine to his girlfriend, his best friend, and also recommended cocaine for general use.Physiologically, cocaine stimulates nerve endings in the brain that monitor changes in the body, causing a euphoria that is very addictive.Freud's study of cocaine has serious flaws:

Freud did not conduct the experiments necessary to confirm his hypotheses about the positive effects of cocaine.

Freud also believed that " lethal dose cocaine for humans is very high, and most likely does not exist.” In contrast to this idea, one of Freud's patients died from the dose Freud prescribed. Cocaine is insidious.

Albrecht Erlenmeyer, a prominent figure in the study of drug addiction during Freud's time, accused the latter of unleashing the "third scourge of humanity," cocaine. As it turned out, this prophecy was not far from the truth.

Freud came to two completely false conclusions:

“... cocaine does not lead to any disturbances in the body if a person consumes it for a long time in “moderate” quantities” and “I tested cocaine on myself and observed several other observed ... that after taking coca for the first time or on a regular basis... the person no longer feels the need for it; after a long time a person feels a certain disgust for the product.”

However, today we know for sure what cocaine is:

Cocaine addiction causes physiological disorders;

Cocaine is extremely easy to get used to;

People who abuse cocaine for a long time are driven solely by the desire to get a fix.

Drugs, including cocaine, are essentially poisons. The effect depends on the amount taken. A small amount has a stimulating effect (increased activity). Cocaine in larger quantities acts as a sedative (suppression of activity). In even larger quantities, cocaine acts as a poison and can be fatal. Whether it's cocaine or another drug, this is true of any drug. Only the amount required to achieve any effect differs.But cocaine has another side effect: cocaine affects the mind directly. By activating incidents from a person’s past at a level below his awareness, cocaine can disrupt the adequacy of his perception of the world around him. As a result, a person's actions become strange, irrational, inappropriate and even destructive, and cocaine is one of these drugs. Cocaine blocks all sensations, replacing desirable ones with unwanted ones. So, while cocaine provides temporary relief from pain and suffering, it also reduces a person's ability, alertness, and mental fog. With long-term use, cocaine deprives life of pleasure and joy, which, in fact, are the reason for living. The right decision is not to even start taking cocaine.

Cocaine kills.

In the end, a person is faced with a choice: cocaine and death, or life without drugs. No matter how horrific the consequences of drug use may be, no matter how hopeless the situation may seem to the addict, there is a solution and, in a broader sense, the war on drugs can be won.Countless attempts to passdrug addiction treatment in past. First you need to understand why a person finds himself in the power of drugs.In May 1969, as the international drug crisis reached its climax, author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard wrote:“When a person is emotionally depressed or in pain and treatment does not bring him physical relief, he will eventually discover that cocaine or other drugs , eliminate his symptoms. In almost all cases, when a person suffered from psychosomatic pain, illness or some kind of discomfort, he looked for a remedy to solve this problem. When he discovers that only drugs bring him relief, he gives up and begins to depend on them, often reaching the point of drug addiction.”Living and growing up in our world can be difficult.

But in fact, seemingly ordinary things can do miracles. For example, proper nutrition and even just long walks, during which you need to look at the surrounding objects until your attention switches to the outside world and the tension subsides. Discussing problems with a friend, priest, or close relative can also help. For those who are already facing the problem of drug addiction, there is a solution to cope with addiction, this is a rehabilitation program. After this program they never return to drugs. But the right decision is not to even start taking cocaine.

Ecstasy

The truth about ecstasy

About how to dance to ecstasy replaced by funeral music.Ecstasy- an illegal drug. The US Drug Enforcement Agency classifies ecstasy as a "Schedule I" drug of dangerous drugs that has no medical use in any way. Schedule I drugs also include: heroin, psilocybin, LSD and mescaline. Ecstasyor dancing with DEATH?It is tragic that ecstasy is one of the most popular drugs among today's youth. According to some estimates,ecstasyMore than 10 million people have tried it at least once, most of them teenagers and young adults.Many of them became regular users of ecstasy despite its dangers. When taken with alcohol, ecstasy is extremely dangerous and can, in fact, be fatal. There are cases of young people dying after taking ecstasy just once.Harm from ecstasy, the “drug of choice” is so significant that admissions to intensive care units have risen by more than 1,200% since ecstasy became a “club drug” most often found on rave discos and dance floors.Ecstasy? Do you really want to have fun?

What is ecstasy?

Ecstasywas first developed in 1912 by the pharmaceutical company Merck. In its original form, ecstasy was made from methyldioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), a psychoactive drug that has similar properties to methamphetamine. MDMA (ecstasy) was used in 1953 by the US Army to test psychological warfare techniques. Ecstasy reappeared on the scene in the 1960s as a treatment for “extreme lethargy.”

Until the 70s, when ecstasy became a common "party drug", it was unheard of. In the early 80s MDMA ( ecstasy) was promoted as "the surest remedy in the ongoing search for happiness through chemistry" and the "fashion drug" of many weekend parties. MDMA, sold under the brand name Ecstasy, was still legal in 1984, but ecstasy was banned in 1985 due to safety concerns.

And since the late 80s of the last century, the term “ecstasy” began to mean among drug dealers all drugs similar to it in effect, which, in fact, contained only a small amount of MDMA, or none at all. And while MDMA itself also has harmful effects, what is now called "ecstasy" can consist of a mixture of a variety of substances, ranging from MD (methylenedioxyamphetamine), MDE (ethylmethylenedioxyamphetamine), LSD, cocaine, heroin, amphetamines and methamphetamines and ending with rat poison, caffeine, dog emetic and so on. Despite the cute pictures that traffickers put on ecstasy tablets, this is what makes ecstasy truly dangerous, considering the quantity deaths after taking ecstasy for the first time, a person never knows exactly what he is taking. This danger increases when the addict increases the dose of ecstasy, trying to experience the same high, unaware that he may be taking a completely different combination of drugs.

Ecstasy It is most often distributed in the form of tablets, but it is also taken intravenously. “Liquid” ecstasy is actually GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate), a substance that depresses the nervous system and can also be found in drain cleaners, floor cleaners or degreasing solutions.

Ecstasy, street names:

Cadillac
Adam
Beans
Clarity
E
Ecsta
Ave
Love
Pig
Smile
Snowball
Ex-E
Ex-TC
Vitamins
Vitamin E
Discs
Tables
Wheels
Round
Bagels
Kalachi
Slippers
Music

ECSTASY - A DREAM OR A NIGHTMARE?

The speed and scale of the spread of drugs, including ecstasy, across Russia over the past five years suggests that we are faced with a real epidemic. Drug distribution mechanisms are already operating in all constituent entities of the Russian Federation. In almost all major cities, the distribution of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly called “ecstasy,” among young people has increased tenfold. According to official statistics, there are now 493 thousand drug addicts registered, and their total number reaches six million people.

Consequences of taking ecstasy

Ecstasy suffocates the body's natural alarm system. As a result, after takingecstasy, a person risks being at the limit of his physical strength and endurance. For example, a person under the influence of ecstasy may not realize that they are overheating and may lose consciousness or even die from heatstroke.Research conducted by the University of Texas Community Research Center found that the most commonly reported long-term side effects of ecstasy include poor concentration and depression.Researchers also found that regular use of ecstasy can cause sleep disturbances, erratic mood swings and uncontrollable anxiety attacks, tremors or seizures, and memory problems.

ECSTASY, IMMEDIATE SIDE EFFECTS

Inability to think straight
False sense of intimacy
Confusion
Depression
Insomnia
Extreme concern
Paranoia
Drug addiction
Muscle tension
Involuntary grinding of teeth
Nausea
Blurred vision

ECSTASY, DELAYED SIDE EFFECTS

Brain damage affecting thinking and memory
Risk of damage to parts of the brain responsible for critical functions such as learning, sleep and emotions, as if the brain's switchboard had been broken into pieces and then rewired
Damage to nerve fibers and nerve endings
Depression, anxiety and memory loss
Kidney failure
Haemorrhoids
Psychosis
Cardiovascular collapse
Convulsions
Death

Can ecstasy lead to addiction?

Is it possible to get hooked on ecstasy? Many people think yes! But even if a person does not become addicted to ecstasy, four more dangers await him.

DANGER #1. By 1995, less than 10% of ecstasy tablets sold consisted of pure MDMA. Nowadays, a person using ecstasy typically consumes a mixture of a variety of drugs, and often toxins.

DANGER #2. The need to increase the dose of ecstasy to obtain the effect. Ecstasy users confirm that the “effectiveness” of ecstasy decreases greatly after the first dose. So you have to swallow more ecstasy tablets, and with this the side effects increase. As the effect of ecstasy decreases, the person tries other drugs, which are often even more dangerous.

DANGER #3. Ecstasy users think they need to take other drugs, such as heroin or cocaine, to numb the mental or physical distress of the ecstasy high. 92 percent of those who try ecstasy also use other, stronger drugs.

DANGER #4. The false idea that a great feeling is the only effect of ecstasy, which encourages people to take ecstasy more often and not only at techno parties. 67 percent of those who use ecstasy continue to use it despite the consequences.

Ecstasy and scientific information

A large amount of research has been done on ecstasy. They indicate the following:
Taking ecstasy can lead to liver failure, as in the case of a 14-year-old girl who died from it despite doctors trying to save her with a liver transplant;
Ecstasy tablets sometimes contain admixtures of other substances, including rat poison;
Teenagers who use ecstasy die from dehydration, exhaustion and heart attacks as a result of an ecstasy overdose;
ecstasy can cause damage to the brain, kidneys, liver and damage to brain tissue, which sometimes leads to irreversible consequences;
Even small amounts of ecstasy can be toxic enough to poison the nervous system and cause irreparable damage.

You still need evidence to understand that ecstasy dangerous drug?

Ecstasy at the mercy of drug misinformation

The positive image of drugs largely comes from the media and the Internet - from those who promote drugs, be it ecstasy, marijuana or cocaine. When a new substance comes onto the market (as happened with ecstasy), it is rarely recognized as dangerous until after a long time the harm from ecstasy becomes obvious. But the false idea that ecstasy is “safe” is already widespread. Ecstasy has also been the subject of similar praise. As one reporter noted, “It looks like some clever advertising genius came up with the campaign for him.”

Ecstasy, what exactly is the risk?

It's time to say: Ecstasy kills.

Under the influence of ecstasy, drivers who experienced euphoria while driving lost control, killing themselves and others. Therefore, remember: if you decide to take ecstasy, not only you, but also the people around you are in danger - wouldn’t it be better for you to make the right decision?

FOR YOU, GUYS AND GIRLS

Express your freedom and independence through something other than ecstasy. Ecstasy will destroy your life and your future. You have every right to live, have fun and be entertained the way you like. You can change your ideas to live an even better life. But ecstasy doesn't bring happiness.

The source of true pleasure and joy lies within yourself. Open it!

FOR YOU, PARENTS

If you, parents, are reading this information, think about the following: youth are our future. But what does this future promise us if the leaders of tomorrow's society are crippled by drugs like ecstasy today? Talk to your children. Make time for them. Listen to their problems and let them share their dreams.

Support their aspirations. Encourage them to have a good start, responsibility and independence. Tell them about the dangers of drugs. With this you can save your child's life.

Drugs (including ecstasy), are essentially poisons. The effect depends on the amount taken.A small amount of ecstasy has a stimulating effect (increased activity). Ecstasy in larger quantities acts as a sedative (suppression of activity). In even larger quantities, ecstasy acts as a poison and can be fatal.This is true of any drug, ecstasy or otherwise. Only the amount required to achieve any effect differs.But ecstasy has another side effect: it affects the mind directly. By activating incidents from a person’s past at a level below his awareness, ecstasy can disrupt the adequacy of the perception of the world around him. As a result, a person's actions become strange, irrational, inappropriate and even destructive. Ecstasy blocks all sensations, replacing desirable ones with unwanted ones. So, while ecstasy provides temporary relief from pain and suffering, ecstasy also reduces a person's ability, alertness, and mental fog. Long-term use of ecstasy robs life of pleasure and joy, which, in fact, are the reason for living. In the end, a person is faced with a choice: ecstasy and death, or life without drugs.

No matter how horrific the consequences of ecstasy use may be, no matter how hopeless the situation may seem for the addict, there is a solution and, in a broader sense, the war on drugs can be won. First you need to understand why a person finds himself in the power of ecstasy. In May 1969, as the international drug crisis reached its climax, author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard wrote:

“When a person is emotionally depressed or in pain and treatment does not bring them physical relief, they will eventually discover that ecstasy relieves their symptoms.

In almost all cases, when a person suffered from psychosomatic pain, illness or some kind of discomfort, he looked for a remedy to solve this problem. When he discovers that only ecstasy brings him relief, he gives up and begins to depend on it, often reaching the point of drug addiction.”

Living and growing up in our world can be difficult. But in fact, seemingly ordinary things can do miracles. For example, proper nutrition and even just long walks, during which you need to look at the surrounding objects until your attention switches to the outside world and the tension subsides. Discussing problems with a friend, priest, or close relative can also help.For those who are already faced with the problem of drug addiction, there is also a solution to cope with addiction, this is a rehabilitation program. After this program they never return to ecstasy or other drugs. But the right decision is not to even start taking ecstasy.

LSD

The truth about LSD

LSD gained its popularity and widespread use in the 1960s. LSD is becoming fashionable again among young people.

LSDSold in capsules, tablets and liquid form. LSD is usually impregnated special paper, and then cut it into squares (“stamps”) with drawings. Each LSD square represents one dose. SometimesLSD(LSD) is taken in liquid form, in the form of drops (this is how the expression “drop the acid” appeared - literally “drop the acid”, as well as one of the names “acid”) or administered by intravenous or intramuscular injection.

STREET NAMES OF LSD:

Acid
Lucy
Acid
Twins
Cat
Superman
Malek
Microdot
White lightning
Wizard
Green Dragon
Trip
Window frame
Blotter
Zen
Cartoons
Brand

Short-term effects of LSD use:

Dilated pupils, increased body temperature, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, sweating, loss of appetite, insomnia, dry mouth and tremors. A person using LSD may experience intense, terrifying thoughts and feelings, fears of losing control, going crazy or dying, and despair.

Long-term effects of LSD use:

Repeated LSD- trips or flashbacks that a drug addict experiences long after taking LSD, when its effects seem to have stopped long ago. An LSD trip usually begins and dissipates after about 12 hours, but some addicts report very prolonged bouts of psychosis.

LSDwas first obtained by the Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann in 1938, but the psychotropic properties of this compound were discovered by accident in 1943. For some time it was assumed that research into the new drug LSD would provide insight into the nature of schizophrenia, although many scientists did not believe that psychedelic and schizophrenic psychosis were identical. Despite some common features, assumptions about the unified nature of schizophrenia and actionLSDwas refuted. But in the early 1950s, many psychiatric institutions around the world conducted experiments with LSD on animals and humans. And at this time, the Swiss company Sandoz even released the drug Delysid, the active ingredient of which was LSD.

LSD research was active in the 1960s. Cases of experiments with LSD carried out by the CIA (USA) to study the effects of LSD on people were made public, most likely as part of the search for an effective substance for use for national security and military purposes. The effects of LSD have also been studied by some scientists at universities in the United States and other countries. The most famous studies are probablyLSDStanislav Grof and Timothy Leary. The latter actively promoted LSD, this psychotropic substance, because he believed that the beneficial effects of it outweighed the possible side effects. In addition, he carried out covert experiments, and gave LSD to some students without warning them of its name, as is often practiced in the study of psychedelics. Subsequently, because of LSD, Timothy Leary was actively persecuted by the authorities, including because of his aggressive position on the benefits of “expansion of consciousness” for humans.

After opening LSD, was erroneously assumed to be used in psychiatry for the treatment of various mental disorders and diseases, for example, schizophrenia. Initially, the results of the medical use of LSD showed great potential, but later it became clear that the out-of-control use of LSD among young people had become too widespread, which caused a political scandal and led to a complete banLSDfor any purpose, both medical and recreational, as well as spiritual (various practices of “expansion of consciousness” characteristic of the New Age movement). A wave of craze for psychotropic substances and LSD swept across America. Subsequently, LSD began to spread throughout the world. For those who have already encountered the problem of using LSD, there is also a solution to cope with addiction, this is a rehabilitation program. After this program they never return to LSD or other drugs.

Drug abuse is often combined with various deviations from the norm in the mental sphere: asociality, insufficient focus on achieving success through hard work, a tendency to affective fluctuations, there is a relationship with the blurring of moral criteria, and vague ideas about responsibility. Teenagers often grow up in a single-parent family, lack socially oriented interests, and strive for self-affirmation.

The main goal of a drug addict is to achieve euphoria. Researchers believe that for every one registered drug addict, there are 5 to 10 unregistered ones. The most difficult drugs include opiates, especially heroin, because they cause severe physical dependence. In Russia, heroin is especially widespread. The disease develops in stages, the rate of development of drug addiction depends on the biological characteristics of the person, the method of administration and frequency of taking the drug, as well as on the type of substance used. In the first stage of drug addiction, patients are still able to hide drug abuse. The main symptom of this stage is individual mental dependence, manifested in the desire to regularly inject drugs. Appetite is reduced, 2 - 3 hours after drug administration there is a need for sweet, fatty foods. Constipation appears. Starts to grow tolerance. The central interest in life is drug addiction. To purchase a drug, money is required - criminal forms of behavior appear. By the end of the first stage, the dose of the drug increases 2-3 times compared to the initial one, and infusions become daily. Heroin is addictive after 2 - 3 intravenous injections

. The second stage of drug addiction is characterized by the development of physical dependence, manifested by severe withdrawal syndrome when it is impossible to regularly administer the drug. Tolerance to the drug is growing. The picture of opium intoxication changes., stops or reduces the synthesis of these substances. In addition, when drugs are administered, the balance of a large number of equally important substances is disrupted: mediators - serotonin, acetylcholine, dopamine, building material for DNA - cAMP and cGMP, and the permeability of cell walls for calcium ions changes. If the process of reconfiguring the body’s physiology for drugs has gone far enough, then in the absence of the latter, abstinence, or withdrawal, begins. The picture of changes in intoxication is that drug addicts become more active, want to move, communicate, and do something. Their appetite is restored. This effect is observed for 2-6 hours, then a craving for the drug appears. Body weight falls, muscles atrophy, the skin becomes dry, wrinkled, and flaky.

The third stage is characterized by loss of intelligence, personality degradation, changes in internal organs, a constant need for the drug, and an increase in the administered dose. Parents must definitely pay attention to their child’s behavior: if it is inhibited, speech and movements are slow and difficult, or, on the contrary, the child is unnaturally fussy, physical activity

enlarged, cutting movements and inconsistent. The face is unnaturally pale or red, the pupils are dilated or constricted to the maximum (changes depend on the type of drug used). Bruises and scars may appear on the arms (legs) after intravenous injections. If changes in behavior become permanent, you should definitely consult a doctor while you can still help. Perhaps the most difficult question is whether drug addiction can be cured? From the point of view of the average person - yes. From the point of view of doctors and psychologists, this question is difficult to answer. Doctors can get rid of physical dependence quite quickly, but psychological dependence is extremely difficult to remove: the likelihood that a drug addict will go on the needle again really exists. Doctors believe that even a break from taking drugs for 6-10 months is a wonderful result. What then? Next is a difficult stage of the struggle and very often unsuccessful - the fight against psychological dependence. Even with super-professional doctors, more than 50% of patients go back on the needle. Drugs are not only food, addiction, loss of health, death, but they are crimes. Sooner or later, any drug addict faces a problem - where to get money for a dose and when exhausted, there is only one way out - to steal. This happens again and again and there is only one outcome - prison. Besides, selling drugs is the coolest business. Hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions of people work for the drug business in Russia alone! The scheme is simple: for each wholesale dealer there are 6-7 drug procurers and 5-10 messengers-carriers. Then the wholesaler sells the product to 5-6 of his distributors, each of whom serves 15-20 drug addicts. The fun begins at the bottom rung of the drug business. A drug addict-distributor buys a small batch and sells it to his friends - this is how he pays for his high. To survive, he puts his acquaintances on the needle. One drug addict gets hooked on needles in six months, 10-15 unlucky thrill-seekers. Very often, female drug addiction is combined with prostitution - this is due to the lack of funds to purchase a dose, and the impending withdrawal pushes them to any means of making money. For the same reason, men, especially teenagers, often engage in homosexual relationships. In the Russian Federation there is a law on narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, which provides for criminal liability for the use, storage and sale of drugs.

Since 1993, another problem associated with IV drug use has arisen - the problem of distribution HIV infection. There are currently 9,300 patients registered in the Russian Federation; in reality, this figure is tens of times higher. The causative agent of HIV infection belongs to the viruses of the retorovirus family, the subfamily of lentiviruses (slow viruses). Both currently known variants of HIV - HIV1 and HIV2 - have lymphotropic and cytopathic effects. Morphologically, HIV1 and HIV2 are similar to other retroviruses. The outer shell is permeated with viral proteins: transmembrane gp41 and external gp120. They are called enveloped and both are attached to the host cell membrane. On the inside of the lipid envelope there is a matrix framework formed by the gp17 protein. It surrounds the internal structure of the virion - the nucleoid or core. Inside the nucleoid, the virus genome is distinguished, consisting of two RNA chains surrounded by proteins p7 and p9. Various enzymes are located near RNA molecules: reverse transcriptase, RNase, integrase and protease. Mature virions formed in the host cell bud off, destroying the cell. Replication of the virus, producing multiple virions, occurs only when the infected cell is in an activated state. The first reports of the causative agent of HIV infection date back to 1981: the US Center for Disease Control reported the identification of 5 cases of Pneumocystis pneumonia and 28 cases of Kaposi's sarcoma in young homosexuals in Los Angeles and New York. All of them were found to have a deficiency of cellular immunity. The disease was named: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The pathogen itself was identified by Robert Galo (USA) and Luc Montagnier (France) during electron microscopic studies of preparations from the patient’s lymph node in 1983. When infected with HIV infection, the parenteral mechanism of transmission of infection is triggered: elements of the blood of a patient with HIV infection must necessarily enter the blood (wound, damaged mucous membrane) of another person. This transmission mechanism is implemented through the following transmission paths:

Sexual tract (risk of infection -1%

Parenteral route: with blood transfusion and organ transplantation (risk of infection -95%), when providing medical care with non-sterile instruments (risk of infection ranges from 1% to 0.001%), with intravenous drug use (risk of infection 70-80%)

Vertical route of transmission: transplacentally during pregnancy from mother to child or during childbirth.

Hemocontact: when the family uses the same nail scissors, needles, combs and other hygiene items on whichThe main points favorable for infection are: administering the drug with one syringe, using the blood of one of the drug addicts, HIV-infected, as an adsorbent (to cleanse it from impurities), disassembling the drug with dirty syringes from a common container. Almost every drug addict who has been using drugs intravenously for one year or more has had hepatitis with a parenteral (blood) transmission mechanism: hepatitis B, C, D.

In the fight against drug addiction, the role of various religious organizations, whose network operates throughout the country, is also significant. Drug addicts are collected in basements and apartments, each of them undergoes rehabilitation in specially equipped centers. Thus, people return to society again, become full members of it, work, start a family. It is believed that a country where drug addiction flourishes has no future, because the younger generation cannot work, study, invent, or advance the economy of their country. The loss of a new generation threatens any country with an economic catastrophe: loss of gross product, lack of sufficient labor resources, collapse of the army, and huge health care costs.Therefore, the main task of society is to protect young people from drug addiction. The most promising direction is preventive. It is much cheaper and more effective to prevent trouble than to deal with its consequences. Our society must admit that drug addiction exists and we cannot hope that all drug addicts can be cured at once, protected from HIV infection, therefore it is necessary to teach them safe and controlled drug use . There is experience abroad in developing programs for controlled drug use. It is not recognized in our country.

A more promising path is to educate young people. That is, the distribution of leaflets, free newspapers and similar anti-drug propaganda products.

Rehabilitation center “RETSENA” is a project that was created to help addicted people free themselves from drug addiction and alcoholism, as well as to conduct educational activities among young people to prevent the consequences of this problem in Ukraine.

The rehabilitation center "RETSENA" is designed to help people who find themselves in a difficult life situation, having arbitrarily or involuntarily become slaves to alcoholism and drug addiction.

Branches of the rehabilitation center are located throughout Ukraine, in ecologically clean areas. It meets all norms and standards, in addition, it is equipped in such a way that a person feels as cozy and comfortable as possible. In such an environment, drug addiction treatment or alcoholism treatment occurs with less stress for the addict. A favorable atmosphere inspires a person not only to return to his previous healthy life, but also opens up new horizons for him: a person sets goals, strives to achieve them, and finds the strength to rise above life’s circumstances.

Drug addiction treatment And alcoholism treatment follows a comprehensive 12 step program .

The course of treatment lasts about 6 months and is regulated by a psychologist in consultation with the rest of the center’s staff. The course of resocialization, the restoration of a person to society, lasts 6 months.

The team of the rehabilitation center "RETSENA" consists of employees and volunteers. There are also people who are former addicts who know what drug addiction is firsthand and can help from their own experience.

Parents and relatives!

IN drug addiction treatment And alcoholism treatment The support of parents and relatives is important. Most often, loved ones of an addict do not understand how important their help and support is.

Statistics say that 70% of breakdowns, even after long-term treatment, are due to the fault of parents close to the addict. That is why the RETSENA rehabilitation center offers courses for codependents. Anyone can come by registering in advance.

REHABILITATION CENTER "RETSENA"

Rehabilitation center "Retsena" has been operating for more than 20 years. During this time, we have achieved excellent results in the treatment of alcohol and drug addiction. And this is confirmed by statistics, where the maximum period of sobriety is 20 years, the minimum is 1 year. During our work, families and family relationships were created and restored, children were born, guys who previously died from drugs now have insurance, work and Fixed salary. At the moment, addicted people who come from different cities of Ukraine and Russia are undergoing rehabilitation in our center.

OUR TEAM

We have a large qualified team, which consists of 38 employees and 12 volunteers. The staff includes consultants who have completed specialized training in chemical dependency, and know about the problem of drug addiction and alcoholism firsthand. We also have 10 psychotherapists and 10 art therapists who have specialized education in the field of psychology and psychiatry.

12 STEPS PROGRAM

Our drug treatment center operates according to the program "12 steps". Many guys have internal problems. which need to be worked out - for which highly qualified psychologists and art therapists work at the center - so that in the future this does not interfere with their recovery. We have developed a special notebook for writing written work. Based on these written works, each step is worked out separately, as well as the beginning and consequences of use, family relationships, and much more. We have created a relapse prevention notebook, where every week you can review and work through what could lead to a relapse. Thanks to this, the children learn to analyze their psychological state and learn to deal with negative thoughts, emotions, situations.

HOW WE SPEND YOUR TIME

Regularly in our organization they take place therapeutic camps, where recovering addicts from Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Belarus and Israel gather. This time is very fun and interesting: KVNs, which are invented by the participants themselves; communication with movie and pop stars; creative concerts; maternity evenings; flash mobs - and much more. Twice a year we meet in the summer at the seaside, and once in the winter, in a boarding house or holiday home. The guys who are undergoing treatment at the rehabilitation center regularly visit the bathhouse, go to football championships that are held between organizations, and various sporting events. We are for a healthy lifestyle.