THE HISTORY OF METHAQUALONE

During the anti-malaria research program in the year 1995, M. L. Gujiral an Indian researcher first found methaqualone. In the 1960s, this drug was sold as a sleeping pill under different brand names like Melsed and Renoval.

Mandrax is the brand name of the drugs methaqualone and antihistamine. Methaqualone started to be sold in America from the year 1965 under different names like Parest, Sopor and Quaalude. Before the end of 1972, methaqualone became the 6^th most accepted sedative in the United States. Quaalude is derived from the expression ‘quiet interlude’ but the producers included ‘aa’ so as to obtain a positive public acknowledgement like Maalox (another drug). At first this sedative was expected to be a safer drug in comparison to barbiturates but later on it was discovered it has the same dependence and tolerance problems.

During the 1960s, Quaalude’s popularity as a recreational drug started to rise. In 1971, it was strictly controlled in Britain and in 1973; it was controlled in the United States. In the 1980s, its sale was stopped from most of the markets because of its addictive property and in the year 1984 it was declared as a schedule 1 drug I the U.S.A. Methaqualone was used to sooth the orphans in the Government Orphanages in Romania until the fall of Nicolae Ceausescu's Communist rule in 1989. This drug is a schedule II drug worldwide.