Heroin
Timeline
| 1853 | Hypodermic needle-syringes with a point fine enough to pierce the skin are invented simultaneously by Charles Gabriel Pravaz (French surgeon) and Alexander Wood (Scottish physician). It is first used to inject morphine intravenously. | |
| 1874 | Heroin is first synthesized from Morphine by chemist C.R. Alder Wright at St. Mary's Hospital in London. Its potential was not recognized. 1 | |
| 1897 | Heroin is synthesized by Felix Hoffman at Bayer Pharmaceutical. Bayer immediately recognized its potential and began marketing it heavily for the treatment of a variety of respiratory ailments. 1 | |
| 1898 | One year after beginning sales, Bayer exports heroin to 23 countries. 1 | |
| Early 1900s | Doctors and pharmacists begin noticing that patients are consuming large amounts of heroin containing cough remedies. 1 | |
| 1906 | Pure Food and Drug Act is passed, regulating the labelling of products containing Alcohol, Opiates, Cocaine, and Cannabis, among others. The law went into effect Jan 1, 1907 2 [Details] | |
| 1911 | British Pharmaceutical Codex notes that heroin is as addictive as morphine. 1 | |
| 1913 | Bayer ceases producing heroin. 1 | |
| Dec 17, 1914 | The Harrison Narcotics Tax Act is passed, regulating and imposing a tax upon the sale of Opium, Heroin and Cocaine for the first time. The Act took effect Mar 1, 1915. 3 [More Info] | |
| 1924 | The Heroin Act passes, making manufacture and possession of heroin illegal in the U.S. | |
| 1965-1970 | U.S. involvement in Vietnam is blamed for the surge in illegal heroin being smuggled into the States. 4 [Details] | |
| 1971 | 10-15% of American servicemen in Vietnam are addicted to heroin. 1 |
References
- Durlacher J. Heroin: Its History and Lore. Carlton, 2000.
- Pure Food and Drug Act. 1906.
- Johanson CE. The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Drugs: Cocaine, A New Epidemic. Burke, 1992.
- Opium Throughout History. Frontline. 1998.