by Martin Booth (Author)
Known to mankind since before the time of Christ, opium is probably the oldest and most widely used narcotic drug. Its dual properties - both as a painkiller and as a derivative, heroin - have lent it an ambiguity. On the one hand, its deadly addictive properties have given birth to the heroin industry which grows from strength to strength; despite the efforts of governments and law enforcers to crack down on it, the addict population is rising. On the other hand, production of the opium poppy is a vital income for peasant farmers in Third World countries. This book offers a history of the drug, examining its multi-faceted nature, spanning both centuries and continents. It explores the drug's cultivation, spread, usages and influences.
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 400
Edition: 1st edition
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Published: Jun 1996
ISBN 10: 0684816865
ISBN 13: 9780684816869