ABSTRACT
Early Native American tribes used plant-based medicinals to decrease cravings and induce aversion to alcohol. In 1826, the American Temperance Society was formed with the premise of reducing alcohol use rather than complete abstinence. The 1830s saw the emergence of the Teetotalism which promoted complete abstinence from all alcoholic beverages. In 1840, the Washingtonian Movement was founded by six individuals who had achieved sobriety from former alcohol use. In parallel, there was soaring public sentiment against the availability and use of opioids. The combination of the availability of morphine and the hypodermic needle had resulted in growing opioid addiction rates in individuals. The United States vs. Behrman Supreme Court decision in 1922 resulted in the closure of nearly all clinics treating opioid addiction, as it made it illegal for doctors to prescribe opioids to addicts under any circumstances.
