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Methaqualone Abuse: An Epidemic for the Seventies

The history of methaqualone is reviewed, beginning with the first synthesis of the compound in 1951. Early preclinical testing of the drug pointed to its being a safe, nonaddicting nonbarbiturate sedative-hypnotic. However, reports from Great Britain and Japan during the late, and mid-1960s unambiguously showed that methaqualone could produce in users both physical and psychological dependency. Our survey of drug treatment agencies in eight states reinforces the findings of reports from other countries, and shows that abuse of methaqualone in the United States is widespread and growing. In 1972 in those agencies surveyed, nearly half of all the clients treated (13,000) were abusing methaqualone. This represents an increase of 120% over the previous year. The authors recommend an examination of the procedures currently used to determine whether a drug should be placed under strict legal controls because of a high potential for illicit abuse. To destroy the myths surrounding methaqualone, the authors also see the need for an intensive drug education program on federal, state, and local levels.