Exploring the rise of popular medications like Valium, Paxil, and Prozac, this book delves into their dual perception as both miracle cures and addictive substances. It examines the cultural and societal factors that contributed to the acceptance of these drugs, questioning their impact on American life. By analyzing the phenomenon of "blockbuster drugs," it reveals the complexities surrounding mental health treatment and the implications for society at large.
"The vast majority of American experiences with drugs and addiction in America take place in white markets, where the legal and medically approved and prescribed drugs change hands. Historian David Herzberg recovers the rich but largely forgotten history of these white markets, restoring some of the nation's most widely prescribed medicines to their proper role as central to the history of addiction and drug policy. White Market Drugs is the first book to set today's opioid crisis in its proper place in history. Today's crisis is the most recent of three major epidemics of addition to pharmaceuticals, and by turning back the clock, Herzberg uncovers the causes of previous crises and the efforts made to grapple with them. Brilliantly instructive, White Market Drugs forces us to rethink our most basic ideas about drug policy, and even about what addiction is. These ideas have been failing us catastrophically for over a century. Herzberg shows us why and provides a comprehensive policy solution"-- Provided by publisher