Drug Scheduling and the Drug Enforcement Administration

Have you ever bought an over-the-counter bottle of acetaminophen (Tylenol) or filled a prescription for a pain medication like Oxycontin or Vicodin only to wonder who decides which drugs can be obtained without a prescription and which substances aren’t even available with a prescription? The answer is the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Food and Drug Administration.  But this hasn’t always been the case.  Consider the example of Coca-Cola, which, until 1903, included cocaine as one of its ingredients. How, why, and when did the DEA come into being?

What is the history of the DEA?

At the beginning of the 1900s, law enforcement related to drugs was regulated by the Bureau of Internal Revenue.  This role was eventually taken over by the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD) and the Bureau of Drug Abuse Control.  But the 1960s saw a rapid increase in the number of Americans who were experimenting with drugs (and engaging in related crimes).   By the 1970s, the problem had grown concerning enough to pass the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act (1970), which included the Controlled Substances Act, and to establish the DEA in July 1973.  The DEA united a number of competing departments including the US Customs Service and the BNDD.  One of the primary roles of the DEA was to produce intelligence related to the cultivation, production, smuggling, transportation, and trafficking of illegal substances throughout the world.  Another major responsibility of the DEA was to enforce drug-related laws by performing raids and arrests.

Over time, additional units were established and legislation was passed.  Among these were the Drug Abuse Warning Network (aka “DAWN,” 1974, to evaluate drug abuse rates and trends in the United States), the Narcotic Addict Treatment Act (1974, to register physicians who prescribed narcotics to treat patients with addictions – Read Opiophobia: Addiction and Pain Management), the Paraphernalia Law (1979, which criminalized the possession and use of paraphernalia for drug consumption – Read Recognizing Drug Paraphernalia), the National Narcotics Border Interdiction System (1983, Read The Source: Where Drugs Come From), the Crime Control Act (1984, Read Drug Treatment and the Criminal Justice System), and the Comprehensive Methamphetamine Control Act (1996, Read The Dangers of Home Meth Labs).

What are “Scheduled Drugs”?

As part of the Controlled Substances Act, certain substances are strictly regulated by the government in terms of production, possession, and distribution.  There are five categories of scheduled drugs.  In Schedules I and II, the substances have a significant possibility of being abused; the difference between these categories is that Schedule I drugs have no agreed upon medical use (specifically in the US) or the drug’s safety has not been determined whereas Schedule II drugs can be used in the treatment of certain medical conditions and can lead to serious physical and/or psychological dependence.  MDMA, marijuana, and heroin are Schedule I drugs whereas Oxycontin is an example of a Schedule II drug.  Schedule III, IV, and V drugs are all medically accepted, have increasingly lower potential for abuse, and are less physically and psychologically addictive.

What options are available for people addicted to substances?

If you recognize that you have a problem with alcohol or drugs, contact eDrugRehab today and ask one of our consultants about a rehab that would meet your needs.  If you are looking for assistance for someone else, eDrugRehab also offers intervention services to convince the person that they have a problem and need help (Read Intervention FAQ and How to Deal with Denial).