Powerdrugs are now a major part of our daily life, yet consumption of these drugs is culturally speaking an ancient issue of human existence. Ephedrine, for example, is currently a widely used doping agent, yet it has also been used in different cultures for over 5000 years. Instead of the limited ritual or medicinal use found in older cultures, stimulants are used on a daily basis in our modern competitive societies especially to increase performance. They make us faster, better, and more effective!

For the 2010-2 (August) issue of Spectrum, we are glad to present a raft of well-known authors on the topic of “Powerdrugs”: Andreas Richter, Anne Schadde, Jürgen Becker, Willy Neuhold, Norbert Enders, Peter Tuminello, Maarten van der Woud, Sunil Anand, Dorothea Weihe, Massimo Mangialavori, and others. You can find articles on Coffea cruda and tosta, Guarana, Thea, Cacao, Chocolate, Mate, Ephedra, Coca, Damiana and the Piperaceae as well as – although not a typical stimulant – Tabacum.