Wikipedia is surprisingly thorough on most drug articles. But you may even have seen such pipes for sale in stores... it can be smoked. Smoking various substances is pretty well accepted by society, even.
I am only aware of the US history, but the early laws barring opium dens had nothing to do with health concerns, they were anti-Chinese laws. At the same time as the dens were starting to be shut down, opium was a hugely popular panacea available in over the counter in every drug store.