Drug Culture: Paradise and Poison

The Belle Époque's pursuit of pleasure extended to consciousness alteration. Absinthe, the "green fairy," dominated café culture. This high-alcohol wormwood-infused liqueur allegedly inspired creativity while destroying lives. The ritual of preparation—water dripped through sugar cubes—became performance art. By 1910, France consumed 36 million liters annually.

Opium smoking, introduced through colonial connections, attracted artists and aristocrats. Elaborate fumeries (opium dens) operated semi-openly in certain quarters. The writer Colette described her visits: "One descended into dream as into warm water, leaving the harsh world for cloud kingdoms where time dissolved."

Morphine, initially medical treatment, became society drug. Upper-class women particularly susceptible, using ornate syringes as fashion accessories. The actress Sarah Bernhardt openly discussed her morphine use for pain management, normalizing narcotic consumption. Pharmacies sold "medicines" containing cocaine, morphine, and heroin without prescription.

Ether parties represented the era's most dangerous trend. Young people gathered to inhale ether-soaked cloths, seeking quick intoxication. Several deaths from overdose or accident failed to stop the practice. The medical establishment warned against recreational ether, but its easy availability made control impossible.

This drug culture reflected broader Belle Époque themes: the pursuit of new sensations, the breakdown of traditional controls, the commercialization of everything including consciousness. What began as artistic experimentation became commercial exploitation. By 1914, France faced serious addiction problems that war would temporarily overshadow but not solve.