Victorian Era Opium Dens

When we think of opium dens of the 19th century, the conjured image is usually a hazy, smoke-filled room full of questionable characters, right? Well, at one point in the early 19th century, everyone and their mother was taking opium (quite literally - mothers were specifically targeted by opium marketers). Over the decades, however, and through sensationalized media and literature, the Victorian era opium dens took on a life of their own.