Thousands years ago, humans began planting poppy, and discovered that drinking its juice could create a feeling of happiness.
Refined poppy juice is called opium and was widely used to reduce pain and suppress coughs.
In the 16th century, people began smoking optium, it spread to China and eventually led to the First Opium War.
In the early 19th century, Scientists refined opium into morphine. During America Civil War, morphine was widely used as a painkiller, but many soldiers developed morphine addiction after the war.
In 1897, Bayer, a German pharmaceutical company, synthesized diacetylmorphine and named it Herorin, meaning ‘Hero’.
In 1912, the ‘International Opium Convention’ was signed in The Hague, This marked the beginning of global efforts to regulate opium,morphine, and heroin as drugs.
