Let's look at the situation at that time. Because of the closed door, China's production development lags far behind that of foreign countries, and it is still immersed in the dream of going to China, but it doesn't know that foreign countries are undergoing industrial revolution at the same time, and their productivity is rapidly improving, so it is urgent to find local export commodities. In this state, people constantly break their dreams and awaken national consciousness.
Moreover, the inflow of opium makes a lot of real money flow abroad, and opium is very addictive. It's hard to quit smoking, just like a bottomless pit, which can never be filled.
In addition to the upper class, there are many farmers who smoke opium. Their income is not high, and they are addicted to opium, which will not only damage their health, greatly reduce their labor force and stop production, but also cost a lot of money and easily go bankrupt.
When the opium war in Humen was recorded in history, there were related illustrations. A man was lying sideways on the bed in a pair of tattered cloth shoes, holding a cigarette bag in his hand, and his wife lit a cigarette nearby, looking shabby.
Lin Zexu led the anti-smoking movement and destroyed opium in Humen, which showed an attitude and a determination. He told the western powers that China was not a soft persimmon, and at the same time, he could alert people at that time, deeply realize the harm of opium and arouse some people's patriotic feelings.
But also played an exemplary role. After all, at that time, in addition to China, backward areas such as Africa also suffered from opium.
Of course, the anti-smoking movement destroyed a large number of opium, which hit British commodity exports to a certain extent, but the disadvantage was that it accelerated the intensification of Sino-British contradictions and became the fuse of war.