Social Poison

The Culture and Politics of Opiate Control in Britain and France, 1821–1926

Nonfiction, Health & Well Being, Medical, Reference, History, European General
Cover of the book Social Poison by Howard Padwa, Johns Hopkins University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Howard Padwa ISBN: 9781421404660
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press Publication: March 15, 2012
Imprint: Language: English
Author: Howard Padwa
ISBN: 9781421404660
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication: March 15, 2012
Imprint:
Language: English

This comparative history examines the divergent paths taken by Britain and France in managing opiate abuse during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Though the governments of both nations viewed rising levels of opiate use as a problem, Britain and France took opposite courses of action in addressing the issue. The British sanctioned maintenance treatment for addiction, while the French authorities did not hesitate to take legal action against addicts and the doctors who prescribed drugs to them. Drawing on primary documents, Howard Padwa examines the factors that led to these disparate approaches. He finds that national policies were influenced by shifts in the composition of drug-using populations of the two countries and a marked divergence in British and French conceptions of citizenship.

Beyond shared concerns about public health and morality, Britain and France had different understandings of the threat that opiate abuse posed to their respective communities. Padwa traces the evolution of thinking on the matter in both countries, explaining why Britain took a less adversarial approach to domestic opiate abuse despite the productivity-sapping powers of this social poison, and why the relatively libertine French chose to attack opiate abuse. In the process, Padwa reveals the confluence of changes in medical knowledge, culture, politics, and drug-user demographics throughout the period, a convergence of forces that at once highlighted the issue and transformed it from one of individual health into a societal concern.

An insightful look at the development of drug discourses in the nineteenth century and drug policy in the twentieth century, Social Poison will appeal to scholars and students in public health and the history of medicine.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This comparative history examines the divergent paths taken by Britain and France in managing opiate abuse during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Though the governments of both nations viewed rising levels of opiate use as a problem, Britain and France took opposite courses of action in addressing the issue. The British sanctioned maintenance treatment for addiction, while the French authorities did not hesitate to take legal action against addicts and the doctors who prescribed drugs to them. Drawing on primary documents, Howard Padwa examines the factors that led to these disparate approaches. He finds that national policies were influenced by shifts in the composition of drug-using populations of the two countries and a marked divergence in British and French conceptions of citizenship.

Beyond shared concerns about public health and morality, Britain and France had different understandings of the threat that opiate abuse posed to their respective communities. Padwa traces the evolution of thinking on the matter in both countries, explaining why Britain took a less adversarial approach to domestic opiate abuse despite the productivity-sapping powers of this social poison, and why the relatively libertine French chose to attack opiate abuse. In the process, Padwa reveals the confluence of changes in medical knowledge, culture, politics, and drug-user demographics throughout the period, a convergence of forces that at once highlighted the issue and transformed it from one of individual health into a societal concern.

An insightful look at the development of drug discourses in the nineteenth century and drug policy in the twentieth century, Social Poison will appeal to scholars and students in public health and the history of medicine.

More books from Johns Hopkins University Press

Cover of the book The Inevitable Hour by Howard Padwa
Cover of the book Pain by Howard Padwa
Cover of the book The Sustainable University by Howard Padwa
Cover of the book The Wildlife Techniques Manual by Howard Padwa
Cover of the book Train Wreck by Howard Padwa
Cover of the book Professors and Their Politics by Howard Padwa
Cover of the book Aging Together by Howard Padwa
Cover of the book Children and Childhood in Classical Athens by Howard Padwa
Cover of the book Fuels Paradise by Howard Padwa
Cover of the book Your Child's Teeth by Howard Padwa
Cover of the book Mammals of Mexico by Howard Padwa
Cover of the book Prelude to Revolution by Howard Padwa
Cover of the book Christian Clergy in American Politics by Howard Padwa
Cover of the book Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis by Howard Padwa
Cover of the book Poetry and Theology in the Modernist Period by Howard Padwa
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy