How Collecting Opium Antiques Turned Me Into an Opium Addict

[nabraxas]

There, he also discovered the beauty of antique opium pipes, bowls, and lamps, as well as opium trays and the hundreds of little implements that went with the ritual. Because opium smoking had been so thoroughly eradicated around the globe in the early 20th century, Martin realized very little had been written about these objects. After years of intense research, he produced the first opium-smoking antiques guide, The Art of Opium Antiques, in 2007.

Martin’s research wasn’t limited to mining Victorian medical books or hunting down authentic pieces on eBay. As he came across various pipes and tools, he sought out the last of the Laotian opium dens to learn how these accoutrements were used and, yes, to try them himself. Before long, he and a friend had created their own private opium den in rural Southeast Asia, but when another of Martin’s smoking buddies, a top Asian ceramics expert, died in 2008, possibly from withdrawal symptoms, Martin knew he had to quit before it was too late for him, too. This summer, Random House published his latest book, Opium Fiend: A 21st Century Slave to a 19th Century Addiction, in which Martin details how his obsessive collectors’ bug led to his opium addiction.

Excellent article w/lots ov cool photos:

http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/journey-into-the-opium-underworld/

[Horus]

Thats as thurough an article as youll ever read on that subject.

Fascinating.

great pics

[Sonny Jim]

^^^ what he said

thanks nabraxas

[Halif]

Thanks for posting that. It's really interesting and I love the pictures - especially the one of the Chinese guy in San Francisco with his cat.

This line made me say WTF?!, however:

"Opium’s really odd. With modern drugs, you take a single hit and you’re hooked for life. You’ll think of nothing else. Opium’s the exact opposite of that. It takes years and years to get addicted. But once it gets its hooks into you, it’s really difficult and painful to get off."

Weird perspective. It takes "years and years" to get addicted to opium? Really?

[occidentalis]

Interesting stuff, I shared this on. Thanks.

[sethomopod]

Good read.. Thanks..

[nabraxas]

It takes "years and years" to get addicted to opium? Really?

yeah, that doesn't seem right.

he says he was doing it once every month or so for years, but it was only when he started doing it daily that he got hooked.

[Alice]

Very interesting read, thanks Nabraxas.

[whitewind]

I ended up checking into a Buddhist monastery a couple of hours north of Bangkok that specializes in treating people with addictions. They have this potion they claim came to a Buddhist nun in a dream. You drink it, hold it down for a few minutes, and then start vomiting it up. You do that for five days straight. Somehow, it made the withdrawal symptoms maybe a quarter of what they were when I had tried to quit on my own. I’ve got nothing but good things to say about that monastery. For a time, I was actually able to get off the stuff.

I wonder if this would work for herion addicts too? Might be interesting to try to find out what the brew is.

[nabraxas]

[whitewind]

Thanks Nabraxas, it's a "secret herb" as I thought. Shame people have to travel halfway around the world to get treatment, though. Not very environmentally friendly and not cheap either!