The history of drug addiction is a great example of why, if we don’t study history, we’re doomed to repeat it.
In the 1800’s, opium use & abuse in England was widespread, probably on account of the weather they have there, but mostly to keep the China trade in business. In its natural state, opium contains 10%-15% of morphine, and also some codeine, along with a bunch of other good stuff, and produces a pleasant, relaxed high.
However, because everyone was indoors smoking opium and not outdoors getting wet like decent Englishmen, it became a problem in search of a solution.
Enter ze Germans. In 1804 Friedrich Serturner synthesized morphine, which was heavily marketed and recommended as a “cure” for opium addiction.
Morphine is extracted directly from opium and is far stronger and produces a far more intense high for a longer period, but has to be injected to be really effective. In 1853 the hypodermic needle was introduced.
Needless to say, the cure was remarkably successful. The opium dens shut down, but — strangely — the population were still not running around outside in the healthy rain and snow; when they were seen outdoors they all had smiles on their faces. This was not a natural state for good old England, oh no.
When, eventually, someone pointed out that morphine was far more of a problem and far more addictive than opium was, the hunt was on : what was now needed was a “cure” for morphine addiction.
This was soon found, again by ze Germans. Felix Hoffman, at the Bayer pharmaceutical company, accidentally produced a chemical that was three times more potent than morphine and – although they didn’t realise this at the time – far more addictive.
According to wikipedia, from 1898 to 1910 this new cure was marketed as a “non-addictive” morphine substitute by Bayer.
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that this new cure was “heroin”, synthesized – this time – from morphine.
Bayer have since said “Oops”.
It’s not entirely the Germans’ fault – Englishman C R Alder Wright actually synthesized heroin in 1874, before ze Germans did it. But the English, not trusting something they’d come up with that made them feel so damn good, ignored Wright’s discovery. But as soon as ze Germans came bearing gifts, they forgot all their qualms and cured all of their morphine addiction.
Now, the BBC report on a drug called “BZP” being sold and consumed in great quantities. It has stimulant effects, like methamphetamine. At the end of the article, the drug is defended by an unnamed shopkeeper:
“On comparison to illegal Ecstasy it’s the same price. It’s not as strong as the street drugs, but it’s a way of getting people off them.”
Ah. Another cure.
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