According to federal government studies, shifts in the international drug market have doubled heroin production since the mid-1980s, leading to lower street prices for the drug. Those same studies conclude there are about eight million heroin abusers worldwide, with approximately a quarter of that group - two million - in the United States. The rate of heroin lifetime heroin use is higher among those in prison (23.4 percent for State and 17.9 percent for Federal). In the 17th century, many people in Europe were treated for a variety of health problems with opium. In 1729, opium smoking was made illegal in China and soon the importation of opium was banned. This ban upset the British who were in charge of trading this valuable product. Opium was still smuggled into China and this caused the "Opium Wars" (1839-1842 and 1856-1860) between the British and the Chinese. Previously available only on the black market for thousands of dollars, the recipe for meth is now accessible free of charge on the Internet. Using common cold medicines such as pseudoephedrine and ephedrine combined with other substances, meth can be made by anyone, almost anywhere. Meth labs have been set up in bedrooms, back yards, trailers, bathtubs, storage units and vans. | 
