History of MDMA MDMA, commonly known by its street name “Ecstasy”, was developed by German technology company, Merck, in 1912. It was formulated as a synthetic, psychoactive drug with a similar chemical structure to amphetamines and hallucinogens. Due to its experimental nature, MDMA was often used as an agent in psychotherapy beginning in the early…
History of Xanax Xanax is the most commonly prescribed benzodiazepine, a class of psychoactive drugs. Unlike opioids which are primarily used for pain relief, benzodiazepines are used as sedatives to combat disorders in patients such as anxiety, panic disorder, and insomnia. Unfortunately, now Xanax addiction treatment centers are a necessity worldwide. The first benzodiazepine, Librium,…
History of Oxycodone Oxycodone was first synthesized in 1916 by German chemists Martin Freund and Edmund Speyer and was introduced to the US market in 1939. Widely distributed to patients as a pain reliever, oxycodone was very effective as its chemical makeup is very similar to heroin. Oxycodone administration increased dramatically during World war II,…
History of Ketamine Ketamine was first synthesized in 1962 by chemistry professor Calvin L. Stevens as an alternative anesthetic. Once approved by the American FDA in 1970, the drug was widely administered to U.S. troops during the Vietnam War in order to surgically operate in the battlefield. Ketamine quickly grew in popularity within the medical…
History of Crack Crack cocaine, commonly referred to as “crack”, is a byproduct of the drug cocaine. Derived from Coca leaves and chemically developed in 1859, cocaine quickly became an addictive stimulant, and one of the most popular throughout the twentieth century. In the early 1980s, internationally turmoil diverted the attention of the United States,…
History of Fentanyl Fentanyl is relatively new compared to its highly addictive counterparts. Developed in 1956 by Belgian physician Paul Janssen, this synthetic opioid was accepted into the medical community as a component for anesthesia. By 1968, fentanyl was approved for medical use in the United States and quickly gained popularity among medical professionals for…
History of Alcohol Alcohol has existed nearly as long as civilization, itself. Dating back to as early as 7000 B.C., this simple, fermented grain has been used for medicinal, spiritual, and social purposes. It wasn’t until the nineteenth century that the general attitude towards alcohol began to change. Citing its addictive and destructive qualities, a…
History of Cocaine The use of this well-known stimulant has existed since 3000 B.C. when the Inca people discovered that chewing coca leaves native to the region caused an exhilarating effect. In 1859, German Chemist Albert Niemann isolated cocaine from coca leaves, and, by the 1880s, cocaine was promoted across the medical community. Due to…
History of Heroin The drug commonly referred to as heroin is an offshoot of morphine, a natural substance found in poppy seeds. In 1898, The Bayer Company promoted the drug as a pain reliever more potent than its predecessors and heroin soon became available to the public. For a decade, addiction to the new pain…
History of Methamphetamine Although developed in Japan in 1919, methamphetamine remained largely unknown until WWII when it was regularly distributed to troops on all fronts. Acting as a stimulant, soldiers required less rest to remain sharp in combat while Japanese Kamikaze pilots were known to inject methamphetamine before their suicide missions. Post-WWII, the drug was…
