Humans have always been looking for a way out. Or a way in. Depending on who you ask, the history of substance use is either a dark tally of mistakes or a fascinating roadmap of how we built civilization. Honestly, it’s probably both. Most people think drug use is a modern "epidemic" that started with 1960s counterculture or the rise of Big Pharma. That is just fundamentally wrong. We’ve been fermenting, chewing, smoking, and brewing since we were living in caves.
Archeologists found traces of San Pedro cactus—a potent hallucinogen—in Peruvian caves dating back to 8,000 BCE. That’s ten thousand years of people trying to alter their consciousness. It wasn't just for "fun," either. For most of human history, these substances were the bridge between the physical world and the divine. They were medicine. They were social glue.
The Beer That Built the Pyramids
It’s hard to overstate how much alcohol shaped the early world. If you look at ancient Sumeria, they had a goddess of brewing named Ninkasi. They actually wrote a hymn to her that doubled as a recipe for beer. Why? Because the water was often terrifyingly dirty. Beer was safer. It was basically "liquid bread," providing calories and hydration without the dysentery.
✨ Don't miss: What's a Normal Breathing Rate: The Vital Sign You're Probably Ignoring
In Egypt, laborers building the Giza pyramids weren't just paid in grain; they were paid in beer. About four to five liters a day. Think about that for a second. The literal foundation of one of the Seven Wonders of the World was laid by people who were, by modern standards, probably buzzed most of the afternoon.
But it wasn't just about getting tipsy.
The history of substance use is intertwined with the shift from foraging to farming. Some historians, like Patrick McGovern, even argue that we didn't start farming to grow bread. We started farming to grow grain for alcohol. It's called the "Beer Before Bread" hypothesis. If true, the entire structure of settled human society exists because we wanted a steady supply of booze.
Opium, the Silk Road, and the First Global Trade
Opium is where the story gets darker and more complicated. The "joy plant," as the Sumerians called it, has been around forever. By the time the 19th century rolled around, it was the engine of global trade. The British Empire basically functioned as the world's largest drug cartel for a while.
They grew opium in India and forced it into China to balance trade deficits. When China tried to ban it to save their population from addiction, Britain sent warships. This led to the Opium Wars. It’s a brutal reminder that the history of these substances is often a history of power and exploitation, not just personal choice.
Victorian "Mother’s Helpers"
Back in the 1800s, you didn't go to a shady corner to get narcotics. You went to the pharmacy. Laudanum—opium dissolved in alcohol—was the Tylenol of its day. People gave it to crying babies. Mary Todd Lincoln used it. Bram Stoker and Elizabeth Barrett Browning were fans. It was everywhere.
The distinction between "medicine" and "drug" didn't really exist yet.
Why the 20th Century Changed Everything
Everything shifted when we started isolating chemicals.
In 1804, Friedrich Sertürner isolated morphine from opium. He named it after Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams. Then, in the 1890s, the Bayer Company—yes, the aspirin people—marketed a "non-addictive" alternative to morphine. They called it Heroin. They literally marketed it for children's coughs.
This is the era where the history of substance use becomes a story of chemistry outpacing our understanding of the brain. We got really good at making things pure and potent, but we had no idea how to handle the fallout.
- 1880s: Cocaine is the "miracle" ingredient in tonics and early Coca-Cola.
- 1910s: The Harrison Narcotics Act begins the era of criminalization in the US.
- 1940s: Methamphetamine (Pervitin) is given to German soldiers to keep them marching for days.
- 1960s: LSD escapes the lab and hits the streets, sparking a cultural revolution.
It’s a chaotic timeline.
The War on Drugs and the Modern Lens
By the 1970s, the narrative changed from "medical issue" to "criminal justice issue." President Richard Nixon declared drug abuse "public enemy number one." This created the modern paradigm we live in today. It’s the reason why some substances are legal (nicotine, caffeine) while others with arguably less physical harm (psilocybin) were banned for decades.
We’re seeing a massive swing back the other way now.
Decriminalization and the "psychedelic renaissance" are pulling us back toward the ancient view. Researchers at Johns Hopkins and NYU are using psilocybin to treat end-of-life anxiety and PTSD. It’s like we’ve spent 100 years trying to lock these substances away, only to realize they might be the keys we need for mental health.
The Misconception of "Natural" vs. "Synthetic"
You'll hear people say, "It’s just a plant, so it's fine," or "Chemicals are the problem." History doesn't back that up. Hemlock is a plant; it'll kill you. Ergot is a natural fungus that caused mass hallucinations and "St. Anthony's Fire" in the Middle Ages.
✨ Don't miss: Can Dogs Have Tylenol For Pain? Why This Medicine Cabinet Staple Is So Risky
The danger isn't necessarily the source. It’s the dose and the context.
When ancient Greeks drank wine at a symposium, it was heavily diluted with water. They looked down on people who drank it "neat" as barbarians. They had social rituals to prevent the substance from destroying the community. In the modern world, we’ve lost many of those rituals, replacing them with isolated use and high-potency extracts.
Moving Forward: Actionable Insights for Today
Understanding the history of substance use isn't just a trivia exercise. It changes how you look at your own habits and the world around you.
Recognize the "Why"
Most historical use was functional. Are you using a substance (including caffeine or social media) to solve a problem, or are you using it for ritual? If it's to mask a problem, history suggests the "solution" eventually becomes the new problem.
Context Matters More Than the Chemical
The Greeks had it right: the environment dictates the outcome. If you're struggling with habits, look at your "container"—your social circle, your stress levels, and your physical space.
Stay Critical of Marketing
From the Bayer company's "Heroin" to the modern opioid crisis driven by Purdue Pharma, the history of substances is a history of being sold "non-addictive" miracles. If a new supplement or "biohack" sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Educate Yourself on Policy
We are currently living through a major shift in how the law views substances like cannabis and psychedelics. Look into the work of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) to see how the science is evolving.
The story isn't over. We’re just in a new chapter where we have more data than our ancestors, but maybe less of their ritualistic wisdom. Balancing those two is the challenge of the 21st century.