Heroin Was Once Marketed as a Cough Medicine for Children
In the late 1890s, Bayer pharmaceuticals marketed heroin as a non-addictive alternative to morphine. They recommended it for treating coughs, colds, and pain, especially for children. The medication came in a syrup form that parents gave to their kids for respiratory ailments. Doctors prescribed it regularly until its addictive properties became apparent. The drug wasn’t banned in the United States until 1924.
