Constructing addiction as a moral failing

The medicinal value of opium as an analgesic has been known to humankind for centuries. In England during the nineteenth century it was regarded, especially among the labouring classes, as a popular panacea for a variety of ailments. However by the end of the century addiction emerged as an issue of public concern ‐ due largely to the ‘moral crusade’ launched by the Victorian anti‐opium movement against the non‐medical use of opium. Central to the movement's campaign was a certain model of addiction, promulgated by its most prominent organisation, the Society for the Suppression of the Opium Trade. This paper examines how this model was taken as an objective reality.