Junkies and the opium wars.

You asked about the origin of the word 'junkies'. Wwll, it comes from the traditional chinese ship, a junk.

A junk

Britain and the US went to war twice to impose opium produced in the British colony of India on China, and china became asociated with opium, junks and so, junkies.

Junkies - The Opium Wars

Happy reading.