What type of person took opium?

Answer 1

Opium was a popular drug since the 14th century in Muslim and Chinese society until well into the 19th century. Its recreational use causes feelings of euphoria and relaxation. Since the effects are a bit like those of alcohol, you might say that the original users were like the people of today who would be 'regular drinkers' because of those effects.

In the West, opium users originally took it mostly as a medicine, painkiller or anaesthetic. In the 18th/19th and early 20th century it was considered an effective antidote against almost any illness, physical and mental, which in a number of cases it actually was. But because of opium's addictive qualities this must have led in many cases to what was in fact 'recreational' use. Sherlock Holmes (although a fictional character) was a famous case in point.

Today, opium is still a recreational drug in use in China, although it is illegal there. The concentrated form of opium, heroin, is still widely smuggled and sold all over the world, but is generally considered a 'loser's drug' because of its destructive long-term effects. The 'smart set' (well, perhaps not thatsmart) have mostly switched to drugs that do not sedate but pick you up and keep you going, like cocaine. And people who want to be mellowed (like millions of today's teen kids) now mostly have turned to cannabis.