Chronology

Year	Event
1821	Publication of De Quincey's book, Confessions of an English Opium Eater, the first personal addiction story.
1898	Heroin first marketed by Bayer Company as a 'non-addictive drug' and a 'cure for morphinism'.
1918 to 1933	Eighteenth Amendment. US 'prohibition' period.
1935	Founding of A.A. in Ohio, USA, by Bill W and Dr Bob.
1953	Publication of Junkie by William S. Burroughs.
1953	Banning of heroin in Australia (against medical advice).
1961	The Single Convention of UN consolidated bans on non-medical use of heroin and opium in signatory countries.
1964	Royal College of Physicians report blames tobacco for lung cancer.
1965	First R&R personnel come to Sydney from Vietnam.
1965	Dole's report on success of methadone treatment.
1969	First Australian patients treated with methadone.
1980	First cases of HIV/AIDS recognised.
1985	Harm minimization and methadone adopted by Australian Special Premiers Conference in strategy against HIV.
1990	Hepatitis C becomes major concern amongst drug users.
1993	Study of 150 NSW heroin related deaths shows that only 2% were currently enrolled in methadone treatment.
1995	Northern Territory becomes third jurisdiction (after ACT and SA) to decriminalise personal use of cannabis.
1996	Tobacco accepted as addictive by US President Clinton.
1996	Over 17,000 Australians on methadone treatment in all jurisdictions except Northern Territory.
1996	Over 18,000 Australians die from tobacco related illnesses.

While every care has been taken to ensure that the content of this book is accurate, the author and publisher do not accept legal liability for any problems arising from the implementation of the various treatment strategies outlined therein. The high mortality amongst street heroin users means that deaths are occasionally encountered in this field. The aim of this work is to assist family members and others to ease the suffering of those affected by heroin addiction. This work is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under copyright law, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the publisher.
ISBN 0 646 29144 0	Copies of this book are available from the author	© Andrew James Byrne 1996