The article is devoted to the problem of opium distribution in China in the 18th century. The British East India company took the most active part in this process, acting in full agreement with the British government. The author explores the economic reasons for this activity, the traditions of opium use in China, as well as the social and political consequences of the massive use of this drug by Chinese people of different social classes. The conclusions are as follows: the activities of the British East India company in the opium trade caused great damage to the Chinese nation, undermining the health of tens of millions of people and setting the stage for the Opium wars between the Western powers and China, which turned the celestial Empire into a semi-colonial country.