Anti-opium Activities Of The British In 19th Century

In the 19th century,the British launched a protracted anti-opium campaign,which mainly involved the abuse of opium in Britain and the overseas opium trade.At the beginning of the 19 th century,under the influence of Britain’s free trade ideology,the free trade in opium prevailed in Britain,and the overseas opium trade developed rapidly,especially the opium trafficking to China increased continuously.By the 1830 s,the problems caused by the unrestricted sale and use of opium in Britain aroused the attention of some members of the public.Meanwhile,the expansion of overseas opium trade also caused a series of problems and contradictions.With the numerous opium problems emerged at Britain and abroad,the British people have called for opium as a threat,demanding to restrict the supply and use of domestic opium and to stop the overseas opium trade,thus setting off a campaign against opium abuse and trade.Some middle-class people,such as doctors,public health reformers,political and social reformers,are the leading advocates and actors against opium abuse.They listed all kinds of evidences of opium problem from their own professional perspectives,publicized the harm of opium abuse to individuals and society,attacked the existing open supply system of opium,demanded to restrict the sale and use of opium,and advocated to put opium under professional control.As one of the first groups to realize the harm of opium,the righteous people and moral personages represented by missionaries,upheld the banner of morality and justice and became the main force of anti-opium trade activities.From the perspective of moral injury,they condemned the damage to the Chinese and Indian people caused by the British opium trade and called for an end to the opium trade.Part of the industrial and commercial bourgeoisie has also became one of the important groups in the anti-opium trade for protect the development of legitimate commerce.By the late 19 th century,the anti-opium organization ‘Anglo-Oriental Society for the Suppression of the Opium Trade’ was established.Under its leadership,the anti-opium group was greatly strengthened and the anti-opium trade activities were pushed to the peak.The continuous anti-opium appeals and struggles of the British people are of great significance not only to Britain itself,but also to the development of other countries.Under the influence of anti-opium activities,Britain has promulgated laws to restrict opium since 1868 and gradually established a formal supervision system for opium.In 1906,the British Parliament passed a proposal to stop the opium trade with China,and reached a ten-year anti-smoking agreement with China in 1907,bringing the opium trade between Britain,India and China to an end.The anti-opium activities,which lasted for more than half a century,not only changed the opium policy in Britain and abroad,but also made the British people have a new understanding of opium,which is completely regarded as a drug.More importantly,under its influence,the international community was fully aware of the seriousness of the opium drug problem,thus promoting the development of international cooperation in opium and drug control.