The Drug Epidemic in China
Jessica Yates
World History 104-02
March 21, 2016
The Chinese culture, all throughout history, has had problems with drug wars, trading of
drugs, and the use of drugs as well. China is the second largest country in the world, meaning the
population before 1990 was 1,100,000, with there being a vast amount of people, they had to do
what they had to do to support themselves and possibly a family, which leads to being involved
in drugs and the drug epidemic in China. There were 230,270 total drug users in 2003-2004, with
a major jump to 435,195 in 2008-2010
1
. Major events happened leading up to the national drug
problem today; one is the First Opium war with Britain.
Opium was a drug that was used throughout the world long before it became a major
problem in China. The Opium war began in 1838 and ended in 1843. It was said to be a
drinkable medicine that helped dysentery. A poet went on to say the drug was “fit for Buddha”.
But for China, it didn’t become a big problem until the early eighteenth century when Great
Britain began to process and grow the product in India to try and cover their trading imbalance
with China.
2
India was importing opium chest to Britain, who would then trade with China for their
