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Human beings have been using opioids for the better part of at least 6000 years. In this time, the demand for opioids—regardless of whether it is driven by medical or recreational use—has been more or less cyclical in that periods of heavy use alternate with periods where use appears almost nonexistent.
The History of Opioids traces the use of opioids beginning with the earliest recorded mention around 4000 BC, through their introduction into Asia and, later, Europe and America. Events that shaped the course of opioid use (such as the invention of morphine) are described here, as are their consequences, notably in the United States.
Opioid Dependence in the US picks up where History of Opioids leaves off. This section offers a wealth of information about the current state of opioid use and dependence in the United States, including changes in how opioids are used, who is using them, and the speed with which certain use has increased.
