"One pill can kill"... From the Opium Wars to Fentanyl Zombies, the History of Drugs that Destroyed Humanity

Throughout human history, drugs have acted as both tools of war and disasters that paralyze society. In the tvN variety program 'Seol Min-seok's Naked World History', the historical flow and lethal dangers of how drugs have destroyed humanity were covered, ranging from the Opium Wars to the modern fentanyl problem.

The Tragedy of the Opium Wars and Marijuana as Comfort on the Battlefield

The first case where drugs led to a national disaster was the 19th-century British Opium Wars. At that time, Britain attempted to resolve trade imbalances by smuggling opium produced through its Indian colonies into the Qing dynasty. According to the explanation in the video, as silver flowed out of the Qing dynasty during the process of importing massive amounts of tea, the Qing dynasty responded to British opium smuggling but eventually lost in two Opium Wars. Once opium trade was legalized through the Convention of Peking, the distribution of opium within the Qing dynasty surged, exceeding 4,000 tons after 1860.

War was another factor that stimulated the demand for drugs. During the Vietnam War in 1965, US troops experienced extreme fear and stress in the midst of guerrilla warfare in the jungle and unpredictable combat environments. According to the remarks of the cast and the video content, US troops used marijuana as a means to forget fatigue and fear in these extreme situations. It was explained that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a component of marijuana, increases dopamine levels to provide happiness and pleasure, while also having the effect of lowering anxiety and relaxing the body.

Heroin and Cocaine: Eroding Society Beyond Social Classes

The danger of drugs intensified with the emergence of even more powerful substances. Heroin, created by modifying the structure of morphine by the German pharmaceutical company Bayer in 1897, was so popular in its early release that approximately 1 ton was exported annually to about 20 countries worldwide due to its powerful analgesic effects and pleasure. However, heroin possesses an addiction 2 to 3 times stronger than morphine, and its withdrawal symptoms are considered among the worst, accompanied by physical pain and shock.

Later, cocaine distributed primarily through South American cartels changed the consumer classes of drugs. Colombian cartels smuggled cocaine produced through the cultivation of coca plants into the United States, and in the early 1980s, more than 80 tons were flowing into the US every month. Initially, cocaine was mainly consumed at social parties for the wealthy, but it spread rapidly to slums with the emergence of 'crack', which lowered the price to 1/30th by mixing cocaine powder with sodium carbonate. In this process, the social problem became so serious that the neologism 'crack baby' was created to describe infants who suffer from low birth weight or cognitive disabilities due to cocaine use during pregnancy.

The Modern Disaster Fentanyl and the Terror of 'Zombie Drugs'

The most fatal crisis currently facing humanity is the synthetic drug fentanyl. Fentanyl is a powerful opioid analgesic that can take lives even in extremely small amounts, to the point where the warning phrase 'One pill can kill' is used. Fentanyl, manufactured by Mexican cartels and distributed to the United States, causes muscle rigidity and brain paralysis in users, leading it to be called 'zombie drug' because users appear to be in a state without movement. In fact, fentanyl is having such a destructive impact that it has risen to the number one cause of death for ages 18–49 in the United States.

Recently, as non-face-to-face transactions using SNS and cryptocurrency have become active, it is becoming difficult for investigative agencies to track them, and the forms of drugs are becoming even more sophisticated, such as the illegal distribution of methylphenidate, which is used as an ADHD treatment. Furthermore, side effects such as 'crocodile', where the skin undergoes necrosis due to impurities in illegally manufactured drugs, are being reported, showing that the drug problem is heading toward a global crisis.