Fierce Chemistry

A History of UK Drug Wars

Harry Shapiro

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Hardback

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English

Amberley Publishing
15 July 2021

Social & cultural history; Drugs trade & trafficking; Medicine: general issues

The desire for humans to alter their states of consciousness seems hard-wired into our DNA. And the history of recorded human drug use goes back to the earliest days of civilisation; opium poppy seeds have been found at Neolithic sites from 4500 BC and opium was well-known for pain relief to the Sumerians at 3500 BC. Across the world, plant drugs have been used for pain relief and other medicinal purposes and as part of religious ceremonies and tribal 'coming of age' rituals. But the nineteenth century saw scientific developments whose unintended consequences laid the foundations for the modern explosion of recreational and chronic drug use, which has in turn sparked a worldwide effort to stop it. At first encouraged by the commercial opportunities afforded by widespread 'cures' - many consisting of little more than heroin or cocaine - by the twentieth century a moral crusade had gathered force to curb this new social ill. In truth, although the dangers of drug use were very real, the origins of the war against drugs stemmed from wider fears in society. In this new book, a culmination of a lifetime of research and writing on the topic, Harry Shapiro isolates the different elements behind the war on drugs - drugs and race, youth culture - to present an issue reaching boiling point. Using a range of interviews, documentation, private papers, government archives and studies from the Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence, Shapiro synthesizes a tale of crime, money, politics and exploitation bigger than any country.

By: Harry Shapiro
Imprint: Amberley Publishing
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
Weight: 690g
ISBN: 9781445665443
ISBN 10: 1445665441
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 15 July 2021
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Unspecified

Harry Shapiro is one of the UK's leading experts on drugs and drug addiction, having worked in the field as a writer, journalist and researcher for over thirty-five years. He is the author of many books and articles on the subject including 'Shooting Stars: Drugs, Hollywood and the Movies' and 'Waiting for the Man: The Story of Drugs and Popular Music', voted by the BBC Millennium website as one of the best music books. As a music writer he has published several biographies, including 'Jimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy', nominated for the Ralph Gleason music-book prize in the USA.

Reviews for Fierce Chemistry: A History of UK Drug Wars

'One of the great strengths of Fierce Chemistry is the interweaving of the histories of attempts to deal with the consequences of drug use (whether through treatment or law enforcement) with the broader cultural and political histories of drugs... Overall, this does not detract from a comprehensive and hugely entertaining history of drugs, drug use and drug policy in the United Kingdom. It will take some effort to better this particular work of fierce chemistry.' -- Alex Mold, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK