UK Poisons and Pharmacy Act (1868)
Poets involved
What happened
The UK Poisons and Pharmacy Act of 1868 was the world's first piece of anti-drug legislation, making it illegal to sell opium and other drugs without a license. This act, enforced throughout the United Kingdom, marked a significant shift in the regulation of drugs, aiming to control their distribution for the first time.
Literary impact
The 1868 Act is a foundational document in the history of drug prohibition, reflecting the Victorian anxieties that permeated the literature of the period. Poets and novelists like Robert Browning and George Eliot would engage with the moral and social implications of drug use, their works often cautioning against the dangers of unregulated substances.
Source: New Scientist
