ABSTRACT
The law in the U.S. regarding behavior-modifying substances is a complex mixture of concern for the welfare of citizens, protection of one citizen from the behavior of others, and protection of citizens from themselves. The Food and Drug Administration, initially responsible for the purity of food, gradually became involved on the national level with the safety of medicines. This function has slowly expanded to include efficacy of medicines, including over-the-counter agents, and the regulation of addicting substances through the Bureau of Narcotics. Alcohol regulation, on the other hand, except under national prohibition, has been regulated largely at the local level, with federal intervention only with regard to taxation and assuring that very limited amounts of beverage alcohol are produced without taxation.
