For certain people, addictive substances are the pillar of society – not only now, in the modern age, but also in times past. Nowadays, addictive substances (mainly drugs, but not limited to them) are used to enhance social experiences.
However, in the past, such substances were often used for religious and medicinal purposes. Opium, for example, was first used as a treatment for various afflictions and only much later strictly for recreation.
Still, there’s more to addictive drugs/substances – history and culture also play a major role, as noticed. As such, let’s take a closer look at these two aspects in relation to man’s relationship with such substances!
Historical Aspects
As mentioned above, addictive drugs were first used for entirely different purposes than today. Better said – people back then thought they came with certain uses.
For example, marijuana and other plants that are now used to make addictive drugs were used as a way to communicate with either gods or spirits from another world. Mages, if we may call them so, from past times used such substances as means of prediction, among many other things.
But, as time passed, doctors started using such substances for the treatment of various diseases. Basically, the substances moved from being heavily religious to something that belonged to the world of medicine.
Cultural Aspects
Things were a bit different when it comes to cultural aspects. For instance, Turkish people considered coffee more than just a necessity a couple of hundred years ago. In fact, they went so far that when it came to this addictive substance, women were allowed to divorce their husbands if the latter didn’t provide them with enough of it.
The same applies to certain Asian and Central American countries that created types of addictive drugs from local plants. One could experience such drugs only in those specific countries as they were a major part of the place’s culture.
The Relationship with Addictive Drugs
So, what is the reason behind this powerful relationship with addictive drugs? Well, mainly, it is the fact that these kinds of substances have always been pushed towards the common people.
In ancient times, it was believed they could help one communicate with deities, in the Middle Ages they were used to intrusively treat afflictions, while nowadays they are used as an escape by those riddled with stress and anxiety.
However, this relationship has started to change – namely, people tend to steer clear of addictive drugs. For example, the best CBD oil affiliate program on the market helps both the seller and the buyer enjoy a substance that relieves anxiety and doesn’t end up with addiction at all!
The Bottom Line
The relationship between people and addictive drugs is quite complicated, to say the least. Some cultures see coffee as healthy, while certain doctors claim that people should stay away from such a substance. The same goes for wine – depending on the culture, it can either help blood flow and heart conditions or promote alcoholism and liver disease.
In the end, the key is to take soft drugs in moderation and, clearly, steer clear of any of the hard drugs out there. Everyone can and should enjoy the casual coffee, glass of wine, or even tobacco – but stay away from heroin and so on to be safe!