[Hard drugs--yesterday and today. A cultural historical essay]

This article tries to examine the current problems of drug consumption from different points of view. Some major historical, sociological, psychological, and economical aspects are dealt with in order to show the enormous complexity of the subject matter. An attempt is also made to make clear that all approaches suggesting "easy answers" to the drug problems are bound to fail and that the desire to build up a drug-free society has always been a complete illusion.