Mind-altering drugs have been used throughout the history of America. While some remain socially acceptable, others are outlawed because of their toxic, and intoxicating, characteristics. These classifications have shifted at different times in history, and will continue to change. The exhibition, Pick Your Poison: Intoxicating Pleasures & Medical Prescriptions, explores the factors that have shaped the changing definitions of some of our most potent drugs, from medical miracle to social menace.

This exhibition is a traveling exhibition produced by the National Library of Medicine and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. It was curated by Manon Parry, PhD, Assistant Professor of Public History, University of Amsterdam.