Methaqualone
What Kind of Drug Is It?
Methaqualone (meth-a-KWAY-lone) is a highly addictive, illegal, SYNTHETIC drug. It was once widely prescribed as a treatment for insomnia, a sleep disorder, and anxiety, a condition characterized by feelings of fear, worry, restlessness, and panic. Methaqualone is probably best known by its former brand names, Quaalude and Mandrax. It was a legal substance from the 1960s until the early 1980s. Shortly after its introduction as a prescription drug in 1965, however, its popularity as a recreational drug skyrocketed among college students and pop-culture figures in music, film, and television. Recreational drugs are those used solely to get high, not for any medical reason.
By the early 1970s, the U.S. government reclassified the prescription status of methaqualone in an attempt to limit its availability. By then, though, imitations of the drug were flooding the market. During the 1970s, the illegal use of methaqualone grew steadily, reaching a peak in the early 1980s. The drug was popular at discos, where people went to socialize and dance. Soon doctors realized the problems associated with the drug and stopped prescribing Quaaludes. Several states then outlawed the sale of methaqualone.
In 1984, the government finally reclassified methaqualone as a Schedule I controlled substance.
This page contains 201 words.

Methaqualone article
Read the rest of this article.
This article contains 3,746 words
(approx. 12 pages at 300 words per page).