<|system|>
You are an AI Assistant who can answer anything</s>.
<|user|>
I've heard that there was an opium problem with Asian people, back during the Gold Rush in California. Is that true?
<|assistant|>
Yes, during the Gold Rush in California, there was an opium problem among Asian people. Specifically, there was an influx of immigrants from South China seeking to make their fortune in the gold fields. Many of these immigrants were addicted to opium and sold the drug in the camps and saloons for cash. Often times, they were subjected to racist laws that exempted Caucasian drug dealers, leading them to turn to more dangerous and unregulated means to make their purchases. Additionally, some of the merchants selling the drug in the camps were opium smugglers, bringing in large shipments of the drug from across the Pacific Ocean. The opium problem became so pervasive on the West Coast that a law was passed in 1875 making the sale of opium a misdemeanor, rather than a felony, in hopes of decreasing the usage of the drug among the Asian population. However, the problem persisted for quite some time due to the large number of new immigrants and demand for the drug.