Opium has been used in China for centuries, although, it was not until the 16th century when European merchants discovered its commercial appeal and exported the drug from India into China that it became widely consumed. At that time the Dutch introduced the practice of smoking opium through a pipe. The imperial palace attempted to outlaw the drug in 1729 (an action later followed by much of SE Asia over the following 3 decades) but smuggling continued and by the end of the 19th century China had an estimated 15 million opium addicts. The establishment of the People's Republic of China brought with it a concerted effort to eradicate the cultivation of opium. Traffickers were executed, opium dens were closed, and opium addicts were forced to attend detoxification centers. The general success of this national control lasted until free market economic policies were introduced in the late 70s and, in combination with China's close proximity to the 'Golden Triangle', the trafficking and use of illicit drugs again increased.

Today, China continues to be a major transit point for the illegal narcotics trade and opium smoking remains common. The popularity of injecting drugs has also dramatically increased. Some reports suggest that around 50 per cent of drug users inject and due to needle sharing practices 1997 figures show that 70 per cent of all reported HIV cases are injecting drug users.

The government's official response to drug use is zero tolerance and in the year 2002 over 60 people were executed for drug crimes. Possession cases receive no less than 7 years imprisonment. As the seriousness of China's drug problems continues to grow the government has come to accept certain harm reducing policies. Illicit drug users are now referred to as 'illegal patients' rather than 'illegal persons' and according to Chinese law drug users must be rehabilitated. Most recently, China has established a methadone program for heroin users in an attempt to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis through injection drug use.