''The Drug Years'' is a 2006

television documentary Television documentaries are televised media productions that screen documentaries. Television documentaries exist either as a television documentary series or as a television documentary film. *Television documentary series, sometimes called d ...

series produced by the

Sundance Channel Sundance Channel can refer to: * Sundance TV, formerly known as Sundance Channel (United States). * Sundance Channel (Canada) * Sundance Channel (Netherlands) * Sundance Channel (Europe) Sundance Channel can refer to: * Sundance TV, formerly kno ...

and VH1 about illicit drug use in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

in the second half of the 20th century. It is divided into four episodes, based on chronology: :"Break On Through" (1950s–1967) This is about the sudden appearance of recreational drugs being used by

beatniks Beatniks were members of a social movement in the 1950s that subscribed to an anti-materialistic lifestyle. History In 1948, Jack Kerouac introduced the phrase "Beat Generation", generalizing from his social circle to characterize the undergr ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

musicians. :"Feed Your Head" (1967–1971) This shows the beginning and the demise of the hippie movement in America, especially in San Francisco. :"Teenage Wasteland" (1970s) This chronicles the years after the hippie movement. The explosion of

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...

and disco are explored. :"Just Say No!" (1980s–Present) This is about the

crack epidemic The crack epidemic was a surge of crack cocaine use in major cities across the United States throughout the entirety of the 1980s and the early 1990s. This resulted in a number of social consequences, such as increasing crime and violence in Amer ...

and the

War on Drugs The war on drugs is a global campaign, led by the United States federal government, of drug prohibition, military aid, and military intervention, with the aim of reducing the illegal drug trade in the United States.Cockburn and St. Clair, 1 ...

. It also shows the popularity of rehabilitation clinics in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as the prevalence of ecstasy in the rave culture.

References

''The Drug Years'' on VH1.com

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Drug Years 2006 American television series debuts 2006 American television series endings