Quaaludes, also known as methaqualone, are a type of drug that is a hypnotic sedative. They were first synthesized in the late 1950s and were often prescribed to nervous housewives as something between a sleeping pill and a sedative. They became increasingly popular as a recreational drug in the late 1960s and 1970s, known variously as "ludes" or "sopers" (also "soaps") in the United States.
In the movie "The Wolf of Wall Street," Quaaludes are depicted as a drug of choice for traders who pop them like candy and wax poetic on their powers. The movies main character, Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, delivers an ode to the drug early on in the film, before the drug and his other vices get the best of him.
Quaaludes have been linked to addiction and, in at least one infamous case, sexual assault. Actor Bill Cosby admitted in court to giving Quaalude to women before engaging in sexual activity with them, and Roman Polanski, a film director, was accused of administering Quaalude to a 13-year-old girl before sexually assaulting her.
Martin Scorsese, the director of "The Wolf of Wall Street," included a Quaaludes scene in the movie after having a bad experience with the drug himself.
