White Mischief

By Tim Madge

Praised as a wonder drug by doctors throughout Europe and the United States upon its discovery nearly 150 years ago, cocaine would quickly become the crown jewel of the drug trade.

For centuries, South Americans chewed on coca leaves to produce a mild high, with the Incas declaring it ‘food of the gods’. In the late 1800s, the plant was used in recipes for popular soft drinks like Coca-Cola. By the 1970s, cocaine was the most fashionable drug in the world, favoured by celebrities and high-flying businessmen. Despite massive campaigns by global governments to stop its importation, coke remains widespread and readily available, maintaining its street credibility as a champagne drug for the middle and upper classes.

Tracing a history that goes back hundreds of years, author Tim Madge examines the complicated, controversial history of cocaine and the coca plant, and ultimately poses the question: do our current attitudes and policies need a rethink?