A Brief History of Cocaine

This updated edition reexamines the impact of cocaine production, trade, and consumption on society beginning in the 16th century. Featuring all new and reorganized chapters, A Brief History of Cocaine, Second Edition contains the latest data and statistics that correlate drug trafficking to terrorism and illustrate recent trends in worldwide production, consumption, cost competition, and international transport. Including a rare look at the role of Japanese companies in cocaine trade, as well as pharmaceutical companies, medical studies, and the commercialization of cocaine products, this book offers a well-rounded historical perspective that helps to explain why one of today's most illegal industries continues to thrive despite costly anti-drug campaigns.

Steven B. Karch MD FFFLM

Introduction. The First Cocaine Kings. "Joyfulle News". Botanists, Naturalists, and Pedestrians. Celebrity Endorsements. Explorers and Innovators. Genies and Furies. The Dark Side. A New Disease Emerges. Coca-Java. From Drug Maker to Drug Dealers. The First Cocaine Cartels. Risky Business. The "Legitimate Business of Poisoning Hindoos". Defending the Realm. Japan's Adventures in the Cocaine Trade. Cocaine Pandemic. Afterward.