Recently I read that at the turn from the nineteenth to the twentieth century China, with perhaps a quarter of the world's population, consumed about 95% of the world's opium production. I am familiar with the Opium Wars between Britain and China. British imperialism explains supply. What puzzles me is the disproprrtionate demand in China. My questions to drugs historians: is the statistic credible? why did the Chinese develop opium habits more than other people? was it a question of opium consumption being illegal elsewhere, alcohol being preferred elsewhere, or what?