Say No to Opium and Vape
Schedule
Sat Feb 07 2026 at 05:00 pm to 07:00 pm
UTC+08:00Location
library@chinatown | Singapore, SG
As Singapore continues its war on vaping, a strikingly similar battle from more than 180 years ago comes into focus. In the Qing Dynasty, opium addiction spread rapidly, draining China’s economy, fracturing families, and weakening state authority. What began as a trade dispute soon spiralled into a public health crisis, and ultimately erupted into the Opium War, a conflict that marked a turning point in Chinese history and the start of modern China. This talk brings the opium crisis to life, exploring how opium became entangled with global trade, imperial power, and sovereignty, and why crackdowns failed to stop its spread. Drawing parallels with Singapore’s modern fight against vaping, the session hopes to uncover what can a 19th-century crisis teach us today.
Where is it happening?
library@chinatown, #04-12, Chinatown Point,Singapore
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
