Opium came to the United States in the 1800s through immigrant Chinese railroad workers who were working on the Transcontinental Railroad. At the time, opium was readily available with no legal repercussions, regulations, or controls. According to a Scientific American article from 1898, it was estimated that 30 percent of Chinese workers were addicted to opium and 10 percent of the whole Chinatown population were addicted. Eventually when Chinese workers started appearing in large numbers, it created a work shortage. Tabloids started demonizing Chinese opium-smokers, claiming they were luring white women into opium dens. Drinking and injecting opium was popular among white men and women among the time, so they outlawed smoking it so they could lock Chinese men up as they pleased.