Underground chemists are now producing the notorious party drug after a Scorsese film sparked renewed interest
Quaaludes all but vanished after the US banned the euphoria-inducing sleeping pills in 1984. The sweeping measure was the one unequivocal success of the “war on drugs”, since “ludes” were produced entirely by the pharmaceutical industry – which complied with the order to cease doing so.
“We eliminated the problem,” said former Drug Enforcement Administration diversion control head Gene Haislip. “We beat them.”