Down a gray and gritty alley in San Francisco’s Chinatown, a Victorian-era investigator waved away the sickly fumes emanating from forbidden opium dens, stopped before an unmarked door, and rapped on it with his cane.
This real-life figure is just one of the characters explored by George Fisher in his new book, Beware Euphoria: The Moral Roots and Racial Myths of America’s War on Drugs (Oxford University Press, February 9, 2024). In his study, Fisher examines the deeply entrenched fallacies and racial biases that have shaped the United States’ anti-intoxicant laws.
Fisher, who has been with Stanford Law School since 1995, offers a comprehensive historical perspective, tracing the origins of damaging U.S. drug laws back to a time when these statutes sought to protect the morals of white communities. His book provides a critical look at how these laws have disproportionately targeted communities of color.
Fisher argues that ancient religious dogmas play a fundamental role in shaping drug laws, focusing on a cultural taboo against euphoria. He contends that early drug laws did not initially target minority groups but rather aimed to protect white Americans, particularly women and youth, from the perceived dangers of addiction.
One striking example Fisher discusses is an infamous 1914 New York Times headline: “Negro Cocaine ‘Fiends’ Are a New Southern Menace,” which he calls one of the most quoted artifacts in the history of America’s war against drugs. Similarly, he highlights the anti-marijuana crusade led by Harry J. Anslinger, who incited panic with claims that the drug led to suicide, rape, and murder.
Fisher’s research also delves into the paradox of society’s acceptance of alcohol while rejecting other intoxicants. His findings suggest that the moral aversion to euphoria has deep historical roots and continues to influence modern drug policies.
In addition to academic insights, Fisher’s book concludes with a state-by-state account of recent decriminalization debates and the challenges in changing public perception. He warns that just as alcohol has been rehabilitated post-Prohibition, other drugs like cannabis face similar hurdles in being accepted as benign social lubricants.
Fisher’s engaging prose and clear storytelling enhance his arguments, drawing on his extensive legal background and experience teaching at Stanford. As he concludes, the battle against drug misuse must consider not only legal reforms but also cultural shifts towards understanding and managing euphoria.
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