The belief that the use of heroin and other illicit drugs is becoming more normal in our society than in the 19th century overlooks the widespread use of opium and other drugs in that period. In fact, opiate use was more normal and acceptable in 19th-century British society than heroin is ever likely to be in Great Britain in the 1980's and 1990's. Another theme of contemporary debates about drugs is the shift in definitions that took place in the 19th century and has also taken place in more recent years. Thus, drug use was considered a bad habit in much of the 19th century. The definition then shifted to focus on addiction as a disease, but in the late 1980's the concept of drug misuse has emerged. Finally, the question of the legal response to drug use and the appropriateness of a penal reaction is a continuing theme, as is the role of the medical profession. Thus, discussions of drug policy can benefit from awareness of the historical determinants of attitudes and policies.