People have been using substances to lift their spirits for millennia. Techniques for fermenting beer & related tipples are known from Egypt & Sumeria 4000 years ago, & they soon spread across the inhabited world. Coca leaves (the source of cocaine), tobacco, & caffeine were also popular with ancient cultures.
Humans may even have an evolutionary pre-disposition to seek out narcotics, even though they can be addictive & damaging. Some people may have genes which make them more genetically prone to drug addiction than others. Even some animals - jaguars, lemurs & bees, for example - have a habit of getting high.