Where does the phrase "Don't drink the Kool-Aid" originate from?

It refers to a cult led by Jim Jones, specifically the Jonestown Massacre. They committed mass suicide in 1978 by drinking poisoned Kool-Aid. It was "the greatest single loss of American civilian life in a non-natural disaster until the events of September 11, 2001."

In modern usage "drinking the Kool-Aid" refers to buying into a dubious system of beliefs more than killing one's self.

In the late 70's, a cult leader named Jim Jones moved about900 of his followers to Guyana. There were rumors of people being held there against their will (and other possible crimes). To make a long story short, when Jones thought the US government was going to investigate his camp, he talked most of his followers into taking poison via Kool-Aid. There's a great deal more to this story, if you're interested, try googling The People's Temple and Jim Jones.

The Origin Of The Saying

In November of 1978, the world was shocked by the suicide deaths of 913 members of the People’s Temple cult. Jim Jones, the leader of the group, convinced his followers to move to Jonestown, Guyana, a remote community that Jones carved out of the South American jungle and named

after himself. Jones constantly feared losing control of his followers. His paranoia was the main reason he moved the cult to Guyana.

The mass suicide occurred after U.S. Rep. Leo Ryan of California and a

team of reporters visited the compound to investigate reports of abuse. After some members tried to leave with the congressman’s group,

Jim Jones had Ryan and his entourage ambushed at the nearby airstrip. He then ordered his flock to commit suicide by drinking grape-flavored

Kool-Aid laced with potassium cyanide.

The mass suicide wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. During the weeks that preceded the dreadful event, Jones had conducted a series of suicide drills, according to survivors. An alarm call would sound and every person in the camp would line up to receive a fatal dosage. These exercises in insanity proved that all of the adults at the compound knew what would be the result of their actions.

The People’s Temple did not start off as your average mind-controlling

cult. It initially gained much respect as an interracial mission for the sick, homeless and jobless. Jim Jones did not manifest his darker side until near the end.

I believe Rush Limbaugh coined it back in the Clinton era and would use it when referring to people buying into his program.It stems from the mass suicide by the members of the Peoples Temple with pastor Jim Jones handing out poisen laden cool aid to kill hundreds of cult members in their jungle encampment in SA.

From a Mass suicide in 1978. see LINK