The opioid crisis in the United States has reached historic levels and remains one of the worst drug epidemics in history, but it is far from the first country to be addicted. The Qing dynasty of China struggled in the face of an illegal opium trade that swept the country in the 19th and 20th centuries. Pushed by Britain and exploited by European powers, the epidemic spiraled into war, economic devastation, and the destruction of one of the greatest empires in the history of the world. This is that story.