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Hong Kong, c. 1900 -

The opium poppy was cultivated by the Sumerians in Mesopotamia thousands of years ago.

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Beijing, date unknown -

It was known to them as Hul Jil, meaning the "joy plant."

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Unknown, c. 1900 -

The plant was brought to Ancient Egypt, where the opium trade flourished under King Tutankhamen.

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China, early 20th century -

In the year 400 CE, opium was introduced to China for the first time by Arab traders.

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Korea, c. 1950 -

The Portuguese had begun using opium while trading along the East China Sea in the 1500s.

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Shanghai, early 20th century -

Opium was reintroduced to Europe for the first time in centuries.

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China, date unknown -

It was used in European medicine as a form of painkiller.

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China, c. 1880 -

In the 1600s, Queen Elizabeth I sent out a ship to find the finest Indian opium and bring it back to England.

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China, c. 1900 -

This lead to an English apothecary creating Laudanum. It was a tincture containing 10% opium that was to be used for medical purposes, but was highly addictive and became used for recreational purposes.

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Unknown, c. 1875 -

Dutch traders exporting opium from India first introduced the practice of smoking opium to the Chinese around 1700.

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China, c. 1932 -

In 1729, the Chinese Emperor Yung Cheng banned the sale and use of opium except for medical purposes.

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San Francisco, date unknown -

The British took control of opium growing territory in India and continued to export large amounts of the valuable product to China for sale. (Wikimedia/CC BY 4.0)

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New York, 1920s -

In 1799, the Emperor of China enforced a total ban on opium.

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USA, c. 1900 -

The British dominated the opium trade and continued to supply large amounts to Europe and the United States. 

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New York, 1902 -

The practice of smoking began to take over London slowly. At first small dens popped up in the docklands areas, to satisfy the needs of passing sailors who had become addicted overseas.

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China, date unknown -

The number of opium dens began to grow around London and the casual use of opium products became standardized. It was possible to walk into any pharmacy to buy opium-based medications.

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New York, c. 1900 -

Opium dens were sensationalized in the media. They became seen as exotic, mysterious, and thrillingly dangerous.

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Charles Dickens -

Many artists and creatives of the era dabbled in opium. Author Charles Dickens was known to use the drug. Opium and opium dens featured heavily in his final unfinished novel.

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John Keats -

Poet John Keats was another Victorian who used opium. Some academics believe he wrote some of his best poetry while heavily under the influence.

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New York, c. 1926 -

Across the pond in the US, opium was widely used as a painkiller as far back as the American Revolution in the late 1700s. Many soldiers returned from battle hopelessly addicted.

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New York, c. 1925 -

Doctors began prescribing opium to treat 'women's diseases' such as menstrual cramps and morning sickness.

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Opium pipes -

By the end of the 19th century, women made up more than 60% of the opium addicts in the US.

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New York, 1925 -

Opium smoking spread across America with the arrival of Chinese immigrants in the 1870s. Opium dens began popping up in every city.

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China, date unknown -

The sale of opiates over the counter without prescription was only outlawed at state level between 1895 and 1915.

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San Francisco, c. 1890 -

Opium smoking continued until a federal ban was finally passed in 1909.

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Authorities burning confiscated pipes, date unknown -

This only served to drive the prices up and cause many addicts to turn to stronger narcotics like heroin. The cost of opium reportedly increased by 10 times the original price.

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Tins of opium discovered in hollowed out book, c. 1950 -

The smoking of opium continued as traders found new ways to smuggle in their supply.

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US Customs intercept large opium shipment, 1933 -

The opiate addiction that engulfed the US during this period is similar to the one the country is battling now.

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See also - To learn more about addiction and how it occurs, take a look at this explanation of dopamine and how it leads us to addiction.

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