1989 Berlin Wall Comes Down

Berlin Wall Comes Down - 1989

The official date in history the Berlin Wall came down was was November 9, 1989, but the Wall was not taken down entirely on that date.

People came with sledge hammers (like this guy pictured), chisels, or anything else they could get their hands on to get a souvenir of this chunk of history.

The Berlin Wall was built by East Germany (starting in 1961) to cut off West Germany and West Berlin. The reason behind this blockade, was to keep West Germany from spreading its 'facist' beliefs.

You can imagine how unhappy this made German citizens. They could not visit their family or friends freely.

During the period of time between 1961 and 1989, there were 100 deaths related to people trying to climb over the Wall to defect to West Germany.

Anyone caught trying to jump the wall, was subject to violent response by soldiers.

In 1989, political change started to take place in East Germany. The East German government announced that people would be permitted to visit the West, and this lead to throngs of citizens hopping from side to side, and they all started to party.

Hooray! 

Cocaine Use Explodes in the 80's

Cocaine Usage Hits New Peak in the 80's

The 80's was truly a decade of excess. Big hair, outlandish fashions, outrageous parties. It was fun indeed, but Cocaine use in the 80's was no laughing matter.

Cocaine usage reached an all time high in the mid 1980's.  The reason being there was an over-abundance of the drug  at the time, thus the price was right. You did not need to be rich to indulge.

It was being shipped to Miami from the outer islands of the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic, and these Islands had shit loads of it. The basic principle of supply and demand caused a price drop of almost 80%. At the time also, the US was not too up to speed on stopping it. It's estimated over 8 million Americans were using Cocaine in the 80's.

Crack Rears Its Ugly Head

To make matters worse, a new form of Cocaine, Crack hit the streets in large scale around 1984. Crack was even cheaper to buy then traditional Cocaine, and first reared it's ugly head in  Los Angeles.

Soon, it became an epidemic in most inner cities. By 1986 Crack appeared on the streets of over 48 major US cities.

This ugly drug led to increases in poverty, crime, unemployment, violence and inevitably death.


There is no doubt the 80's were a magical time in my eyes. This is one part of culture and history we truly could of done without.

Just Say No Anti Drug Slogan

1982 Just Say No Campaign

In 1982, First Lady Nancy Reagan, on a visit to an elementary school was asked by a little girl what should she do if offered drugs? Mrs. Reagan  replied, 'Just Say No'. So started the famous phrase which became a everlasting staple and butt of jokes in the 1980's.

The Reagan Administration's War on Drugs, was already in full effect at the time, now the catchy slogan could be attached to the anti drug campaign.

You really have to hand it to Nancy Reagan, she did work hard on this, and the famous slogan really did take off.

Just Say No programs and clubs were started in schools across the nation (over 5,000). Nancy Reagan appeared on morning talk shows spreading the message.

She even appeared in episodes of the TV shows Different Strokes and Punky Brewster in episodes that dealt with the anti drug program. She was everywhere!  

Just Say No was everywhere in the 80's. You could not escape it. She even took the campaign international in 1985. The United Kingdom started a 'Drugwatch' program, based on the Just Say No Campaign.

Later on, the famous phrase was not just limited to drugs, as Just Say No was also used to discourage premarital sex.  The program suffered it's share of criticism as it was seen too costly in many eyes. Other issues at the time - unemployment and poverty were not given the attention they deserved so said many critics.

Take a look at this PSA for Just Say No - and people wonder why the campaign was not taken seriously by some? Please, try to contain your laughter , this was serious stuff !