Ceremonial Chemistry: The Ritual Persecution of Drugs, Addicts, and Pushers (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In this polemical response to the controversy about drug use and drug criminalization, Thomas Szasz suggests that governments have overstepped their bounds in labelling and prohibiting certain drugs as "dangerous" substances and incarcerating "addicts" in order to cure them. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Learning Publications (June 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556910193
• ISBN-13: 978-1556910197
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,086,165 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Institutionalized and state-sponsored persecution, August 25, 1998

By A Customer

An excellent analysis of the institutionalized and state-sponsored persecution of certain rule-breaking behaviour (illicit drug use)and the similarities between cultural and religious demands for specific mood-altering ceremonies and substances. This was the first book by Szasz that I read and I was impressed by depth of his philosophical and medical understanding of human behaviour. After reading this book I purchased, read and re-read the Myth of Mental Illness within 24 hours. Although Cermonial Chemistry was a delight to read, I think the Myth of Mental Illness is a timeless read and a comprehensive, logical and linguistic torpedo aimed squarley at an institutionalized war against human responsibility and the deep suspicion of the state against those who question through behaviour or language the role of the state in prescribing the rules of human conduct. Ceremonial Chemistry is an important book and a cornerstone in the debate on the inevitable de-criminalization of illicit drugs or the continued illegalization of certain foods and plants.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ceremonial chemistry, January 5, 2007

By	catatat (calif.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ceremonial Chemistry: The Ritual Persecution of Drugs, Addicts, and Pushers (Paperback)

Explains what the war on drugs is really about - and it's not drugs. Highly educational, trancends our brainwashing.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ceremonial Chemistry Review, January 4, 2008

By	Sergio Ivan Linares "Sergio Ivan Linares" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ceremonial Chemistry: The Ritual Persecution of Drugs, Addicts, and Pushers (Paperback)

Ceremonial Uses of the drugs is maybe what the addict is doing; instead of analysing the pharmacological effects of the drugs, the author describes in the pages of this book how were labeled certain kind of drugs as "dangerous" by politicians and physicians around the times, and how they use these labels for discourage the use of "certain ones" and encourage the use of "another ones" under medical treatment.



As water that can " healing " powers and water that does not have " healing " powers, Psychiatric drugs and alcohol can be quit off by the user according with the relationship he or she has with these drugs.



Drugs can be addictive or non addictive as water is, as the user believes how difficult or easy is to break with the habit in regard of his-her ritual use rather than in the chemical properties of drugs.



Dr. Szasz writes about the ways physicians and politicians use to threat the persons around the times for to promote, encourage the use of, and forbidden drugs in order to maintain the concept of addiction and psychiatric (drug ) slavery.