I can't imagine what benefits they were looking for in opioid use/abuse. Like, most drugs have a very distinct use, ranging from "directly beneficial" like using stimulants to increase productivity, to "socially useful" like using alcohol or MDMA as a social lubricant. Opiates don't really fall into any of those boxes. They're not mechanistically useful: If you want euphoria, there are better drugs like MDMA or ketamine. If you want to prematurely end your stimulant rush, booze, GHB, or ketamine will do that. Their primary use is as a coping mechanism, because they make you feel generically good regardless of your actual situation. And they're not really socially useful either, because unlike, say, cocaine, the overlap between "valuable people to have in my social network" and "people who shoot heroin" is practically non-existent.

I say this as someone who is very drug positive: Stay away from opiates, except for treating extreme, acute, physical pain.