Did you know that drugs used to be much more prevalent in the past than they are today? To be specific, the year 1914 was the beginning of a whole new era in the War on Drugs.

Before 1914, the drugs that are illegal today could be obtained without much trouble. And if you think that the reason for this was just the lack of control over the distribution of drugs, you are deeply mistaken. In fact, drugs were so commonplace that you could buy them in the most ordinary store or pharmacy. People could use coca leaves in Coca-Cola and buy hard drugs as if they were cough pills. Society was exhausted from World War I and needed an easy escape. Drugs dealt well with that aggression and anxiety.

As has already been mentioned, the United States decided to stop this vicious cycle of self-destruction in 1914. The War on Drugs became a symbol of the fight against the flaws of society. The focus shifted, and problems like world changes, class inequality, mass resettlement, and so on faded into the background.

In light of this context, you can't overlook an exceptional individual. Harry Anslinger, the first chief of the US Federal Bureau of Narcotics, was the person who made drug interdiction happen. At some point, this man realized that the War on Drugs at the legislative level was not having the effects that had been hoped for. Despite all the measures taken, the communists, according to Anslinger, continued to supply drugs to the country to undermine the American spirit.

So, in the 1950s, Anslinger approached the UN. The member countries agreed that the drug situation was taking a frightening turn. Under pressure from the geopolitical power of the United States, an international War on Drugs was launched.