Drug use and religion have been intertwined throughout history, but the nature of this relationship has varied over time and from place to place. Alcohol and other drugs have played important roles in the religious rituals of numerous groups. For example, among a number of native South American groups, TOBACCO was considered sacred and was used in religious ritual, including the consultation of spirits and the initiation of religious leaders. Similarly, wine, representing the blood of Christ, has been central in the Holy Communion observances of both Roman Catholic and some Protestant churches. Considered divine by the Aztecs of ancient Mexico, the PEYOTE cactus (which contains a number of psychoactive substances, including the psychedelic drug MESCALINE) is used today in the religious services of the contemporary Native American church (Goode, 1984).

Although tobacco, ALCOHOL, peyote, and other drugs have been important in the...