Opium

Description

While the 20th century was one long war for control of the world's oil supplies, opium was a key strategic raw material during the four preceding centuries. Opium consumption dates back to Ancient Egypt. Initially a useful pharmaceutical product called laudanum; it quickly became popular in Britain. It then became the basis for trade with isolationist China as soon as the Opium Wars obtained trading rights for Western companies and the Chinese began smoking it in industrial quantities. This book offers a tastefully illustrated history of this toxic substance, its paraphernalia, and the era surrounding it.

Author description

Donald Wigal, PhD, edited Drug Education for Parents and Teachers [Imhof] in 1970; produced the documentary film Drug Philosophy in 1970, attended the New York Governor's Conference on Children of Alcoholics in 1982, indexed Addiction: A Matter of Choice [Hewitt] in 1999, and participated in the Sober for Good study [Fletcher]. He participates in support groups for those addicted to drugs and/or religion.