Opium Culture

Opium Culture
Peter Lee
Park Street Press
ISBN: 159477075-1
Non-Fiction, Health, History
Reviewed by Pamela Crossland

Opium Culture is a minefield of information about the history, preparation, harvest, and usage of opium. Lee explores the various components and their medicinal uses (there are sixteen alkaloids that make up the herb) or at least their theoretical uses; he is appalling long on grandiose claims and shockingly short on documentation.
Most of societal ills could be cured with the legalization and medicinal and recreational use of opium according to the author. He posits that if heroin addicts were able to indulge in the “big smoke” as opium is called, legally and safely, they would not spread the HIV virus by exchanging dirty needles. “This choice alone can do far more to halt the pandemic of HIV infection and reduce the massive crime, corruption, and terrorist activity that feeds off the heroin trade than the so-called War on Drugs, War on Crime, and War on Terrorism can accomplish – and at only a fraction of the cost to society.” He claims many countries are seriously considering this scenario while failing to specify which countries might be interesting in this absurd plan or where he gathered this information. It is very difficult to take his stance as seriously as he does himself.
The book’s value best lies in the information it gives on the history of opium, the attractive color photographs of various pipes and accoutrements necessary to the indulgence of this powerful, highly addictive drug. He goes into great detail as to the preparation of opium and how best to harvest and preserve it. Despite his claims that the adverse effects can be controlled and balanced by proper diet, he has no verifiable documentation to back it up. His premise is false and one suspects, based more on his own desire to indulge in the drug without consequence than in objective data.