The first loss of freedom: early opium laws in Australia
- 1 October 1988
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in Australian Drug and Alcohol Review
- Vol. 7 (4) , 439-453
- https://doi.org/10.1080/09595238880000751
Abstract
The article considers opiate usage and legislation in nineteenth century Australia, focusing on the contrast with contemporary laws controlling drugs of addiction. It then goes on to consider the first laws which prohibited the use of a particular drug for non‐medicinal purposes, concluding that the origins of the opium prohibition laws had nothing to do with the health risks involved with drug use or dependence, but were rather a reflection of racism and a consequence of political expediency.Keywords
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