Mindbending experiments: how drugs shaped modern science
HistoryExtra podcast
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The Dangers of Opiates
In 1868 we had the Pharmacy Act which mostly controlled poisons, you know, things like Strychnine and arsenic but also opium. That was quite effective in terms of deaths in Britain from opiates were relatively low by contemporary standards maybe a couple of hundred a year. But I think once people realised that they were dangerous and you had to be careful about the dose then they sort of plateaued out at that point. It's quite mind blowing today to think that you could go into a local chemist and buy cocaine or heroin or opium as you say.
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