ABSTRACT
At least four different alkaloid-containing plants are capable of producing amphetaminelike effects: absinthe, caffeine, khat, and ephedra. Europeans stopped using absinthe at the turn of the 19th to 20th century, but it is now making a comeback. The cessation of absinthe abuse in the early 1900s occurred almost entirely in step with the decline in the popularity of cocaine. Until 2007 United States law prohibited the importation and sale of absinthe, but it is sold over the counter in European Union liquor stores. In the U.S. it can be purchased in stores and over the Internet. Alternatively, the key herbal ingredients contained in absinthe can be purchased as “health food supplements” and then added to vodka or pure alcohol. The U.S. government rescinded its prohibition after nearly a century when it was discovered that the drink contained smaller amounts of potentially toxic thujones than had previously been supposed, although it is not entirely clear that the Drug Enforcement Agency agrees with this position.
