After more than two decades of relative obscurity, cocaine re-emerged on the American drug scene in the early 1970s. Deterred by the obvious addictiveness and social stigma of drugs like heroin and the occasional “bad trip” associated with hallucinogens such as LSD, some Americans saw cocaine as a relatively harmless “recreational” drug. Its potential for harm was downplayed, especially since markedly successful individuals in the entertainment industry seemed to use the drug with impunity. As movie stars, rock musicians, and sports heroes openly admitted using cocaine and enjoying its euphoric effects, its popularity and image soared among the general population.

Cocaine quickly occupied a niche in American popular culture. The rock song “Cocaine,” recorded by Eric Clapton, Richie Havens, Dave Van Ronk, the Jack Saints, and DRG Compilations, bolstered the drug’s cool image. More songs with “cocaine” in the title followed, performed by some of America’s most popular singers. Dozens of movies appeared featuring scences that both destigmatized and satirized the use of the drug, depicting cocaine users as fun, successful people. A scene in Woody Allen’s film Annie Hall, for example, depicts guests at a party comically sneezing after inhaling the powder. The Albert Brooks film Lost in America includes a scene featuring people laughing with white powder on the tips of their noses. According to a study led by Donald F. Roberts, Thomas More Storke Professor of Communication at Stanford University, who researched the movie industry’s pleasurable portrayal of drugs, “Of the movies showing drugs, marijuana appeared most frequently (51 percent), followed by powder cocaine (33 percent).”

Cocaine use among professional athletes was even more common than among musicians or actors. Many athletes believed that cocaine acted as a stimulant that sustained their energy level, allowed them to endure greater pain, and speeded their reaction time on the field. The consequences of cocaine use seemed minor: At the time, even though the drug was illegal, professional sports organizations did not specifically ban the use of cocaine. And law enforcement authorities tended to be reluctant to arrest high-profile players for local basketball and football teams.

The more that sports and popular culture icons glorified cocaine the more the public wanted to experience the same exhilaration, despite a rise in price to over $100 per gram. As more and more Americans tried cocaine, doubts about its alleged harmlessness once again began to grow in the minds of many health professionals. Deaths attributed to cocaine were routinely reported by the press, although they were dismissed by cocaine users as freak accidents or as examples of the consequences of reckless abuse.

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