LANGUAGE               
                                                                                                               
     
     
HISTORY OF DRUGS      
         
         
         
         
 
 
History
     

The use  of drugs  had   religious, ritual  and medical  purposes and goes far afield in time. Nevertheless, the development in the use of these substances is a recent phenomenon.

 

The 19th Century Opium War
At the end of the XIX century, after having lost the two "opium wars" (1840 – 1842, 1856 – 1858) which opposed great colonial powers, China saw spread the use of opium all over their territory, to the point of touching the third part of the adult male population (approximately 25 million of people). In 1906, Chine became world’s opium first producer with 35 500 tons.
At this point, a big part of the population consumes opium.

 

The 20th Century : drug financed conflicts

A big part of drugs money is used for weapon purchase, armed conflicts financing, terrorist movements support and enslavement contribution of world’s nations.

 

The first measures
In France, the law of poisonous substances is widely anterior to the international conventions because it has its origin in the ancient poison regulation. The first important text is an edict adopted due to the poisoning crimes attributed to the Marquise of Brinvilliers, to the Voisins and to the Vigoroux. This edict imposed the retention of all poisonous substances.

 

From the 12th of July 1916, France acquires a Control towards prevention repression of the ravages caused by certain drugs. The fight against drug addiction and drug traffic is a subject very important in the European Union’s work.

 

The first international cooperation attempt in drug control matter took place in 1909, at the Shanghais Opium Commission, gathering 13 countries, including France. This Commission took several resolutions to erase completely opium’s production and consume, and allowed the first Opium International Convention at The Hague in 1912.

 

International Conventions
The 60’s saw a drug consume aggravation with drugs like LSD, amphetamines and cannabis. To fight against this phenomenon, several conventions were organized under the UN’s aegis.

 

          1961 :     La convention unique sur les stupéfiants, amendée par un protocole en 1972.

          1971 :     La convention sur les substances psychotropes.

          1988 :     La convention contre le trafic illicite de stupéfiants et de substances psychotropes.

 

These conventions, that forbade all drug production, commerce, possession and use (except for medical reasons) had influenced on the national laws of the participant countries. Nowadays, our legislation takes their basis in the 31st of December of 1970’s Law, several times updated, from that date on.

Now, 160 countries have ratified the Convention of 1961, 149 the 1971 one and 140 the 1988 one.
 

Certain components are necessary for production of narcotics. A surveillance and control system for the transit of these components had been placed to avoid their utilization by traffickers.

     
     
     

 
 
 
 
 
 
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Parents Contre la Drogue (C) - Serge LEBIGOT