AFTER A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERISTICS AND APPEAL OF OPIUM, THE BACKGROUND HISTORY OF THE OPIUM WARS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA IS PRESENTED. THE HISTORY OF OPIUM TRADING IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, INDIA, AND TURKEY IS ALSO DISCUSSED. THE AUTHOR SEES A PARALLEL BETWEEN TODAY AND THE HISTORICAL ROOTS OF OPIUM USE IN ASIA IN ITS FUNCTION AS A SUPPRESSION OF SOCIAL CONFLICT AND AS AN IMPORTANT PART IN CAPITALISM'S POLITICAL ECONOMY. HE CONTINUES BY TRACING OPIUM USE IN THE UNITED STATES AS RELATED TO CHINESE IMMIGRATION, PROHIBITION, ORGANIZED CRIME, AND U.S. INVOLVEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. IN A FINAL SECTION THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE HEROIN INDUSTRY AND U.S. MODERN POLITICS IS DISCUSSED. THE AUTHOR CALLS FOR A MACRO-SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF DRUG USE....TWH