Quaaludes (methaqualone).
They were everywhere. I knew a guy who worked on the construction of skyscrapers. The jargon was Iron Hanger. Something like that. He took them all the time. He said it helped remain calm while he was at the higher levels of the building.
It never was my pleasure of take the lousy medication.
During the 1970s Quaalude (click here) became a widely abused sleeping pill. The key chemical needed to make Quaalude was methaqualone, first developed in India in the 1950s as an anti-malarial drug. By the mid-60s, U.S. doctors began prescribing Quaalude as a non-addictive alternative to barbiturates.
However, by the late '70s, illegal use of the drug had surged, especially among teenagers. Users would "'lude out," combining the drug with alcohol to achieve a drunken, sleepy high. Overuse could lead to respiratory arrest, delirium, kidney or liver damage, coma, and death. As the abuse reached its peak, it was linked to overdoses, suicide attempts, injuries, and car accidents....
Evidently, Mr. Cosby couldn't finesse his way with women and called for back up. Shame on him. But, this was common practice 'in the day.' I am not surprised it was quaalude. It actually makes sense.
I take it none of the women working with him on a TV set had these problems?
