Exhibition on history of drugs

It has been 3500 years since human beings started using drugs! This is the theme of an exhibition at London's Wellcome collection Museum.

A massive bong statue spanning the length of a room, the laudanum-induced 'Kubla Khan' manuscript and psychedelic videos in a riot of color await
those curious enough to learn about 3,500 years' worth of human drug
use.

"High Society," an exhibition opening 0n 11th Nov, 2010 at London's Wellcome Collection museum, examines the controversial history of opium, from pre-biblical practices to today's entire illegal drug market,
which is worth an estimated $320 billion per year, according to the
United Nations.

The multimedia extravaganza features over 200 artifacts, ranging from dope-inspired paintings and documents, to documentaries and art videos, to giant graphics examining the bloody
trail of today's drug trade.

A confession corner gives visitors the chance to share personal experiences with mind-altering substances — anonymously, of course.

One of the aims of the exhibit is to de-stigmatize today's illegal drugs and show there is more to the subject than visitors may have thought, said Caroline Fisher, one of the
show's co-curators.

After all, substances that many people ingest freely today — alcohol, caffeine and tobacco — have all been criminalized in years past or are still illegal in some parts of the
world.

"Most people don't know that much about drugs earlier than the 1960's, they think that drug culture all started about 50 years ago," Fisher said. "But there's actually a really long and fascinating
history behind it."

The oldest artifact — a decrepit, poppy-shaped clay opium jug — dates back to 1500 B.C.

In one of the exhibit's six sections, it presents kaleidoscope of what societies have labeled good or bad drugs and the paraphernalia needed to
use them: a Victorian tobacco pipe alongside a contemporary needle kit
for injecting drugs, a digital cannabis vaporizer, Chinese beer and
Marks & Spencer wine.

A section titled "Collective Intoxication" shows cross-cultural appreciation of drugs in group settings, from the rituals of the Amazon's Barasana people to the
"Love-in's" of the 1960's.

Co-curator Mike Jay, a historian and author, says the exhibit should challenge people to step back from the polarized debate about drugs to take a broader historical and cultural
view.

"High Society" is free and runs until February 27.