Th. Metzger traces heroin back to its inceptual roots as opium, and explains the uses to which the latex of papaver somniferum has been put throughout Western history.

He explains the evolution of opium into morphine, and that drug's medical applications and inclusion in many patent medicines at the turn of the century. Metzger also provides an account of the discovery of heroin by British chemist C.R.A. Wright in 1874, and the subsequent shepherding of this astounding substance into worldwide usage, a process initially overseen by Carl Dulsberg of Germany's Bayer Company, and later by the I.G. Farben chemical cartel.

At first, heroin was widely used and hailed as a "triumph over pain." But as the American cult of purity began to emerge, heroin was rapidly demonized. Through unprincipled and sensationalized media exhortations, it was tied to alien immigration from Asia, or "the Yellow Peril," which was perceived by isolationists (such as newspaperback magnate William Randolph Hearst) as a threat to social order, and the stereotype of the diabolic Oriental drug fiend was soon fabricated and installed firmly within the American collective psyche.
In time, heroin came to be associated with defilement, sin, and disease, and the hypodermic needle became a potent symbol of moral and physical transgressions. The American temperance crusade and eugenics movement were other contributing factors in the process of heroin's fall from grace and the dope fiend's ultimate scapegoating as the lowest of the low. Seminal American antidrug czar Harry J. Anslinger furthered this cultural pogrom, adding to it an antipathy towards African and Hispanic Americans, and disingenuoulsy linking those ethnic groups with heroin usage. Metzger also traces the activities of many other influential individuals who contributed to the public's skewed perception of the drug and its devotees over the years.

Today, heroin and its users have become synonymous with devolution and degeneracy. How this came to be makes for a fascinating tale.

A reader: 'Having recently written my Masters Thesis on Heroin in Contemporary Film, I found Metzger's book informative and interesting. Metzger focuses largely on the link between the eugenics 'cult of purity' of the early 20th century and the emergent anti-drug attitudes of 'mainstream' culture. At times Metzger may veer towards the hysterical himself, but his analysis of the beginnings of the criminalisation of heroin goes some way towards understanding the cultural formation of illict drugs and is a must for anyone wishing to explore the construction of the heroin addict. The book redresses the imbalance of 'legitimate' narratives, which simply take a moral stance on drug issues without a historical perspective. It's also an enjoyable read.'

232 pages, paperback, 5.5x8.5