>Why does America have such a greater drug fascination than perhaps every other country? Just to throw out some random thoughts on this: -Historically a lot m

>Why does America have such a greater drug fascination than perhaps every other country? Just to throw out some random thoughts on this: -Historically a lot more expendable income, especially in the middle and working classes. The opportunity was there, especially during the 60s and 70s when a lot of countries were still rebuilding in an economic sense. -Our culture seems to put a lot more into individualism, especially in regards to an individuals right to the 'pursuit of happiness'. Somewhere along the way the 'pursuit of happiness' started to become centered around personal pleasure and hedonism. Think of the rock-star (or hip-hop) lifestyle that was glamorized over the past half-century. It mostly boils down to hedonism and extravagant material wealth. -The overwhelmingly authoritarian crack-down on drugs in America made it a cornerstone of the anti-establishment counter-culture movement. Though perhaps that's a bit backwards, the crack-down came about as a way to control and suppress the counter-culture. But that backfired in a big way. Drugs have practically become a rite of passage into being cool or rebellious. I bet half as many teenagers would try drugs if it weren't for that perception. -Americans largely enjoy simplicity and convenience. We don't want to make huge lifestyle changes. Take a pill or something to make the problems go away. Simple, easy, don't have to think about it. Gib me my soma. -The Media. A lot of TV shows and movies are centered around topics that are edgy, illegal, and/or borderline taboo because that's what people want to watch. We always have. Same way we rubberneck for a car crash. I think that's helped normalize drugs.