Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen,
A pause for thought and or a worrying trend. The Ugly head of British Imperialism rise's in our midst or could it be modern western influence with the young people of China. The subject concerns the use of narcotics within China, a plague that seems to ravage any developing country systematically wiping out millions of keen minds and throwing them into a pit of spiralling degradation and self despair. It appears as a cancer and is spread by the greed of drug barons and untouchable business men at the top of society. As my history taught me the British were one of the main traders with China in opium during past time's. Have we left a legacy in China that as usual seems to have been swept under the carpet or is it a sign of the times as we have all seen in our respective countries over the years. Any thoughts or input on this subject would be very welcome

Regards

Dale

From what I remember of my history lessons the "Opium wars" with China were to force them to supply UK with Opium. From that I suppose that Opium or Heroin was relatively easily available in China and UK at that time.
Recently, heroin, tobacco, alcohol and cannabis have become relatively cheaper as salaries have increased so they have become more widely used and have led to widespread addiction particularly in young people. Usually people grow out of drug use as they grow older but you always get a small minority who cannot break this addiction. The worst addiction in the UK is alcohol which is not illegal and largely not controlled. Despite laws which prohibit sales to young people vendors are very rarely prosecuted for selling to underage patrons. Alcohol addiction leads to the break up of families and to various criminal behaviours to obtain the money to buy alcohol and to some very violent and criminal behaviour while under the influence of this drug.
However the vast majority of alcohol users do so responsibly so it would not be a good idea to impose a ban. (Prohibition did not work!). More severe penalties and higher tax might have a more effective result in reducing misuse. But better education regarding the responsible use of all drugs would be welcome...
David

http://www.sacu.org/opium2.html

This is a link to the history of the Opium Wars. Sorry David, but we were the bad guys: the Brits were buying opium in India and selling it in China or exchanging it for silk, tea and other Chinese goods, and we actually encouraged the widespread use of opium.

I agree with Dale's summing up of the effects of using drugs. My own son got into deep trouble by being a user and stealing to feed his habit, so I know at first hand the trouble it can cause. David, my son used to come back with the stock answer "You use drugs, you drink alcohol." And he was right, but I wasn't dependent on it, it wasn't an illegal substance and I didn't have to commit crimes to get it. I take full responsibility for my own actions.

Drug use is part of the culture in some ethnic-minority societies in China and Thailand. Old ladies smoking pipes and spaced out. Quite comical, and they don't do any harm to anyone else.

Personally, I have never taken any illegal substances in my life, and it will remain like that.

Graham

I knew we were the bad guys in the Opium wars but I had forgotten the details.... I was just making the point that drugs have been around for a long time and have been used or misused by generations in other countries with few social consequences compared with the last 20 years or so in the UK and USA...
I have not taken any illegal substances either but my experiences of the results of drug abuse are though my work as a psychiatric nurse. Most of our problems in the hospital are at least partially due to drunkenness and drug abuse.
(and some of the patients are worse. LOL)
David

Opium is still legally grown (but under very strict controls) in Tasmania for medical companies. The problem with any illegal drug is it steals the motivation to get out and do something, create or think. With alcohol the makers in my view purposely target the young with all the "softdrink" type mixes available that taste like softdrink and are high in percentage of alcohol. But also what about parents? In Australia they is constantly some news program reporting out of control parties by underage drinkers because the parents allowed booze at the party and in cases the parents dropped the kids off with booze they themselves had bought for the kids. I've never needed alcohol to enjoy life, but i do drink it as part of a social habit. As Graham mentioned and a lot of historians agree, prohibition doesn't work it allowed people like Al Capone to build an empire directly related with the supply of booze. There will always be someone ready to profit on the misery of others but while politicans yap about the drug and alcohol troubles they never seem to get around to doing something about it. Throw them in jail for a life sentence (not a 25 yrs sentence) but life until they die, but wait the civil liberty groups would prefer them to have rights while the drug addicted suffer. The real question is why do people use them? Is it because they are more available? more disposable income? Most of us here would have grown up and been part of the 60's - 70's and come through it. Is there more peer pressure, certainly more things to do than when we were kids. Well I'll step down off my soapbox now