The Control of Fuddle and Flash: A Sociological History of the Regulation of Alcohol and Opiates

A historical and comparative overview describing the regulations of the use of alcohol and drugs (opiates) in the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. It explains the conditions and causes of the various regulatory regimes, such as the economic benefits reaped from the colonial opium trade and the role that duties on alcohol played in state formation. Moreover, it explores the consequences of different regulatory regimes, such as the shift in the supply of (increasingly strong) liquor and the professionalization of crime, both unintended consequences of American Prohibition. It also provides insights into the political economy of regulatory regimes, and sheds light on the contemporary debate on the drug problem .