Alcohol and Drugs History Society

Anaesthesia in Victorian Britain (book)

Snow, Stephanie J. Operations without pain: the practice and science of anaesthesia in Victorian Britain. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.

Petrol sniffing in the Australian desert

Nicolas Rothwell reports for the Australian (April 15, 2006) on the increase in "petrol sniffing" among Australian Aborigines.

What ever happened to good old fashioned glue sniffing?

CBC News reports (16 June 2005) that parents are being warned that some young teens may be inhaling computer duster products, an extremely dangerous method of getting high. "Dusting" involves inhaling compressed air from aerosol cans, specifically computer dusting products. The warning comes after four 13-year-old girls were caught inhaling the contents of a can of computer duster in a junior high washroom. Find the full story here.

Do artists need narcotics even more than ordinary people?

In a November 2003 story in The Independent Online, Richard Davenport-Hines examined authors' drug habits, including their recreational use of drugs, their use of drugs to assuage bad nerves, insomnia, or to cope with creative tension and the artistic temperament, and their use of drug sub-cultures as material in their books. Find the full story here.

Local Bar Offers 'Alcohol Without Liquid'

NewsNet5.com reports (14 March 2005) from North Olmsted, Ohio that a new big city fad known as "inhaleable liquor" has made its way to a northeast Ohio bar. Find the full story here.

Alcohol and Drug Use in the Republic of the Marshall Islands

An online version of Francis X. Hezel's extended article, entitled "Alcohol and Drug Use in the Republic of the Marshall Islands: An Assessment of the Problem with Implications for Prevention and Treatment," for the Micronesian Seminar (June 1997), can be found here. The essay is divided into six chapters: research methodology, alcohol, marijuana, inhalants, hard drugs, and prevention and treatment; it also includes appendices.

Alcohol and Drug Use in the Federated States of Micronesia

An online version of Francis X. Hezel's extended article, entitled "Alcohol and Drug Use in the Federated States of Micronesia: An Assessment of the Problem with Implications for Prevention and Treatment," for the Micronesian Seminar (March 1997), can be found here. The essay is divided into six chapters: research methodology, alcohol, marijuana, inhalants, hard drugs, and prevention and treatment; it also includes appendices.

Iowans discouraged from inhaling beer; drinking it, though, is still fine: Opposition Mounts To Alcohol Inhalers

For the DesMoinesRegister.com, Lynn Campbell reports (21 February 2005) that an Iowa lawmaker is among those across the US looking to ban a device that allows people to inhale alcohol instead of drinking it, even though it appears the product hasn't made its way into Iowa. Legislation has been proposed in at least 13 states to ban alcohol-mist machines. Find the full story here.

Inhalant Abuse Among Grade Schoolers

PR Newswire reports (7 January 2005) that the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) hosted a meeting in January to draw attention to the latest research about inhalant abuse.  According to the 2004 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders, lifetime inhalant use for 8th graders increased significantly in the past year with more than 17% reporting having purposely inhaled potentially toxic vapors often found in common household products.