Opium was a big problem as was Heroine, both were touted as medical miracle cures for most everything that ailed ya.
In just over 10 years time from its arrival into this country, the United States was plagued with a major morphine epidemic. Even though no actual statistics were kept on addiction at this time, the problem had grown to large enough proportions to raise serious concerns from the medical profession. Doctors became perplexed and were completely in the dark as to how to treat this new epidemic.
By 1874 the answer to this increasing problem was thought to be found in the invention of a new drug in Germany. This new wonder drug was called Heroin, after its German trademarked name. Heroin was imported into the United States shortly after it was invented. The sales pitch that created an instant market to American doctors and their morphine addicted patients was that Heroin was a "safe, non-addictive" substitute for morphine.
Hence, the heroin addict was born and has been present in American culture ever since.
So the gooberment became involved regulated, outlawed it, and fixed the problem.
Now instead of just addicts we have major crime too, essentially making a bad problem worse, as gooberment always does.
Curing the drug problem just like they did for the alcohol problems during probation.
