Changing minds: psychoactive substances in African and Asian history

Africa and Asia are experiencing rapid change when it comes to the challenges of managing the consumption of intoxicating and psychoactive substances. As countries on each continent become wealthier and more connected globally, their markets are becoming more complex. Traditional products remain popular, but demand for alternatives are growing. Many Asian and African nations are now experiencing their own opioid crisis, a phenomenon most familiar in north America. Demand for illegal drugs, such as cocaine, has also grown. Meanwhile the market for legal substances, such as alcohol and cigarettes, dwarfs that for illegal drugs and there are a range of public health consequences.  

We will use the expertise of the Alcohol and Drugs in History Society (ADHS) to bring historical perspectives to these developments. This will create better connections between researchers in Asia and Africa and the global community of scholars.