Drug Treatment and the History Opioid Addiction: Did You Know?

Did you know that opioids have been used since around 3400 BC for both pleasure and to treat pain? In the Middle East, which was then the Sumerians, the opium poppy plant was referred to as the ‘joy plant,’ or as Hul Gil. Throughout history, but for the exception of about 200 years in Europe during the Holy Inquisition, opium has been used to treat everything from headaches and coughing to asthma and melancholy.

Did you know that during the American Civil War morphine use and abuse was so common to treat injuries that dependence skyrocketed among the armed forces and the addiction was called the ‘soldiers disease?’ The invention of the hypodermic syringe allowed doctors to inject opioid directly into their patients’ blood stream, allowing for a more rapid and potent effect.

Did you know that the Bayer Company began marketing a cough suppressant featuring a new ingredient called ‘heroin’ in 1898? Because of this and other reasons, heroin was assumed to be non-addictive, and in the early 1900s free samples were available through mail order to help in the recovery from morphine addiction.

Did you know that in 1914, after heroin’s addictive properties were no longer in doubt, the U.S. government tried a drug treatment program of their own by imposing a hefty tax on heroin? Eventually they banned heroin for non-medical use and then finally in 1970 they banned it for medical use as well.

Did you know that 18% of all substance abuse treatment admissions in 2001 were for opioid addictions, and that this exceeded cocaine admissions for the 5th consecutive year? Recognition of this trend brought swift action a year prior and a drug called Suboxone was introduced to the U.S. market to be used in drug detox treatment.

Suboxone is now used in over thirty countries in drug detox programs and has a high success rate due to its non-euphoric properties and low addiction rates.