PHARMACIST STEVE

a :  a state of well-being and contentment :  joy

b :  a pleasurable or satisfying experience

Of course back in the late 1700’s life expectancy was in the mid-late 30’s.

Many/most of our founding Fathers “owned” slaves… and it took almost another 100 yrs and a civil war to abolish slavery

But discrimination continued for almost another 100 yrs until the Civil Rights Act 1964 was passed.. but that law didn’t create a instant panacea

I can remember vacationing with my parent in the mid-late 50’s in Virgina and seeing signs “Whites only” and “Blacks only” on water fountains, restrooms and other places.

The early part of the 20th century we seemed to have leaders in this country that was hell bent on raising the overall “morality” of our society..

First as the Harrison Narcotic Act 1914 .. that was highly influenced by the racism and bigotry that seem to predominate mindset of  many in our society

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Narcotics_Tax_Act.. in which the courts determined that opiate abuse/addiction was NOT A DISEASE … but a CRIME !

These same people moved on to creating a prohibition to alcohol – which is a drug –  in 1920

National prohibition of alcohol (1920-33)—the “noble experiment”—was undertaken to reduce crime and corruption, solve social problems, reduce the tax burden created by prisons and poorhouses, and improve health and hygiene in America. The results of that experiment clearly indicate that it was a miserable failure on all counts. The evidence affirms sound economic theory, which predicts that prohibition of mutually beneficial exchanges is doomed to failure.

The lessons of Prohibition remain important today. They apply not only to the debate over the war on drugs but also to the mounting efforts to drastically reduce access to alcohol and tobacco and to such issues as censorship and bans on insider trading, abortion, and gambling.^[1]

Although consumption of alcohol fell at the beginning of Prohibition, it subsequently increased. Alcohol became more dangerous to consume; crime increased and became “organized”; the court and prison systems were stretched to the breaking point; and corruption of public officials was rampant. No measurable gains were made in productivity or reduced absenteeism. Prohibition removed a significant source of tax revenue and greatly increased government spending. It led many drinkers to switch to opium, marijuana, patent medicines, cocaine, and other dangerous substances that they would have been unlikely to encounter in the absence of Prohibition.

In 1964 the Civil Rights Act was pass to prohibit discrimination of various “classes” of citizens with our society.

In 1970 we have the BNDD (Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs) coming on the scene.. this is basically the “declaration” of the war on drugs. The BNDD a couple of years later became the  infamous DEA that we are dealing with today.

In 1971 the BNDD was composed of 1,500 agents and had a budget of some $43 million (which was more than fourteen times the size of the budget of the former Bureau of Narcotics).

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a component of the Department of Justice, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and others.  The DEA is headed by an Administrator who is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

DEA Staffing and Appropriations
FY 1972-2014 (All Sources)
Year	Total Employees	Special Agents	Support Staff	Budget ($ in Millions)
2014	11,025	5,234	5,791	$2,867
2013	11,053	5,250	5,803	$2,771
2012	11,116	5,314	5,802	$2,880
2011	11,082	5,356	5,726	$2,815
2010	10,905	5,293	5,615	$2,796
2009	10,784	5,233	5,551	$2,624
2008	10,774	5,223	5,551	$2,494
2007	10,759	5,235	5,524	$2,346
2006	10,891	5,320	5,571	$2,285
2005	10,893	5,296	5,597	$2,142
2004	10,564	5,194	5,370	$2,039
2003	9,725	4,841	4,884	$1,892
2002	9,388	4,625	4,763	$1,794
2001	9,209	4,601	4,608	$1,697
2000	9,141	4,566	4,575	$1,587
1999	9,046	4,527	4,519	$1,477
1998	8,452	4,214	4,238	$1,384
1997	7,872	3,969	3,903	$1,238
1996	7,369	3,708	3,661	$1,050
1995	7,389	3,889	3,500	$1,001
1994	7,049	3,611	3,438	$970
1993	7,266	3,518	3,748	$921
1992	7,264	3,696	3,568	$910
1991	7,096	3,615	3,481	$875
1990	6,274	3,191	3,083	$654
1989	5,926	2,969	2,957	$598
1988	5,740	2,899	2,841	$523
1987	5,710	2,879	2,831	$774
1986	4,925	2,440	2,485	$394
1985	4,936	2,234	2,702	$362
1984	4,093	1,963	2,130	$327
1983	4,013	1,896	2,117	$284
1982	4,013	1,896	2,117	$244
1981	4,167	1,964	2,203	$220
1980	4,149	1,941	2,208	$207
1979	4,288	1,984	2,304	$200
1978	4,440	2,054	2,386	$192
1977	4,439	2,141	2,298	$173
1976	4,337	2,141	2,196	$161
1975	4,286	2,135	2,151	$141
1974	4,075	2,231	1,844	$116
1973	2,898	1,470	1,428	$75
1972	2,775	1,470	1,305	$65