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Heroin Addiction, A Timeline

A look back in time at heroin addiction's history and opiate addiction shows that opiate addiction has been with us for a long time and has been the center of more than one war due to its trading value.

* 30, 000 Years Ago - Poppy Seeds are thought to be used by the Neanderthal due to archaeological evidence.

* 3400 BC - The Sumerians of Lower Mesopotamia cultivated poppy for its euphoric effects passing the technique along to the Assyrians. This would then be passed on to the Babylonians and then the Egyptians.

* 1300 BC - The Egyptians continue the cultivation of poppy and opium trade flourishes under King Tutankhamen. The profitable item is moved along trade routes into Greece, Carthage and Europe.

* 1100 BC - On the Island of Cyprus surgical quality knives are created to harvest the opium which was traded and smoked before the end of Troy.

* 460 BC - Alexander the Great introduces the harvested opium from cultivated poppy plants to countries Persia and India.

* 400 AD - Arab traders first introduce opium to China which is grown in Egyptian poppy fields.

* 1300's - Opium is not seen in the European records for 200 years during the Holy inquisition where everything from the east is believed to be linked to the devil.

* 1500's - The Portuguese first discover the effects of smoking opium which were instantaneous.

* 1527 - Opium is reintroduced to the European Nation in the form of Laudanum. Laudanum was used for medicinal purposes and mostly as painkillers which came in little black pill form.

* 1600's - The people of Persia and India begin eating and drinking mixtures of opium. The Portuguese begin transporting and trading Indian Opium to China.

* 1606 - Queen Elizabeth I have the finest Indian opium transported back to England.

* 1680 - Thomas Sydenham introduces pills 'Sydenham's Laudanum' made of opium, sherry wine and herbs as remedies to a variety of ailments.

* 1700's - The Dutch begin to trade opium and import Indian Opium to China. They also introduce the Chinese to smoking a mixture of opium and tobacco.

* 1729 - Chinese Emporor, Yung Cheng prohibits the sale and trade of opium unless it was for medicinal purposes.

* 1750 - The British dominate the trade of opium from Calcutta to China by taking control of poppy growing districts of India.

* 1753 - Poppy is classified as Papaver Somniferum by Linnaeus.

* 1767 - The British import of Opium to China has grown to 2000 chests of opium per year.

* 1793 - The British forbid Indian poppy cultivators to trade with any other companies as a monopolizing move towards complete domination of the opium trade.

* 1799 - Opium trade and poppy cultivation is completely banned in China by the Emperor, Kia Kong.

* 1800 - Nearly half of the opium coming out of Smyrna is purchased by the British for trade to the United States and importation to Europe.

* 1803 - Morphine is discovered in Paderborn, Germany by Friedrich Sertuerner.

* 1827 - Commercial morphine is produce by E, Merk & Company of Germany.

* 1839 - The First Opium War as Lin Tse - Hsu an imperial Chinese commissioner in assigned to eliminating opium trade to China confiscates foreign opium. The British send warships to the Chinese Coast.

* 1840 - The US imposes a duty fee on opium importation.

* 1841 - The Chinese lose the first Opium War to the British.

* 1843 - Injection of Morphine is discovered.

* 1856 - The British and French go war again with China in the Second Opium War.

* 1874 - Heroin is first discovered by C R Wright by boiling morphine over the stove but not coined 'heroin' just yet.

* 1890 - U. S. Congress imposes a tax on all opium and morphine sales.

* 1895 - Heroin is coined by the Bayer Company as it was discovered again. Bayer sold Heroin for 3 years as a remedy for various ailments.

* 1903 - Heroin addiction becomes a major problem.

* 1905 - The United States places a ban on opium.

* 1909 - The U. S. outlaws the sale or importation of opium.

* 1910 - After many years of unsuccessful attempts the Chinese and Britain's agree to stop the opium trade.

* 1914 - The Harrison Narcotics Act is passed and it required all doctors and pharmacists to register and pay a tax on the sale of opium products.

* 1923 - The First federal drug agency bans all legal narcotic sales and addicts are forced to buy from illegal drug dealers on the streets creating a black market in New York's Chinatown.

* 1973 - The DEA is created. Drug Enforcement Administration

Through the years there have been many advances in getting one who is addicted to heroin or opiates off of the drug. Heroin addiction suboxone treatments and heroin addiction methadone treatments are the two most popular at this time. There are others types of Heroin Addiction Detox such as rapid detox as well.