What is the history of heroin?
Heroin, (an opium derivative) is unfortunately a very popular choice of drug in the American culture today. The drug didn’t just “show up” in the late 1960’s. Beginning in the late 1800’s opium was rather popular. They had opium dens scattered throughout the “wild west”. It arrived here via Chinese immigrants that came to work on the railroads. Instead of belling up to the bar drinking whiskey, the cowhand was in a prone position in a candle lit dim room smoking opium. It wasn’t uncommon for cowhands to spend several days & nights at the den eventually becoming physically addicted to the drug. However, at the time alcoholism was a bigger problem. From the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s the reputable drug companies of the day began manufacturing over the counter drug kits. These kits contained a glass barreled hypodermic needle and vials of opiates (morphine or heroin) and/or cocaine packaged neatly in attractive, engraved, tin cases. Laudanum (opium in an alcohol base) was also a very
