Heroin is an opium derivative that is now more popular than the original drug. Back in middle of 19th century opium was widely used as it was not illegal and the access to obtaining it was not restricted or enforced by government. All through out the Wild West there were opium dens where people could come in to indulge in opium smoking activity. Chinese immigrants who came over the ocean to work on railroads were primary the main carriers of the drug into the country. With them the fashion and, consequently, the addiction to the drug spread out to the West. There is a quite a number of clear evidence that proves that getting loaded on whiskey in a bar after a long ride through prairies was not the only favorite activity of hard working men at that time, but also chilling out in dim rooms filled with opium smoke. It is worth mentioning that smoking of opium was not a big problem as alcoholism was a bigger issue for the government since it caused more violent fights and death in some cases. Subsequently, opium was suggested to be taken as a cure to alcoholism.

Somewhere around 1810 another derivative form of opium was produced – morphine. This pain killer rapidly became popular since it was stronger than any other pain killer known at the time and could allow medics to perform longer operations on patients when trauma or disease demanded a surgical interference. It was truly a breakthrough in the world of medicine.