The role of opium in globalization and state power, contemporary and historicalOpium and opiates, today Today and in the past, have been considered unusual products as their use and proliferation causes serious consequences. obvious social problems. This should not necessarily lead to good conclusions; Just as with all commodities, the social problems created are almost irrelevant when it comes to players of all social classes who can profit from the way its trade is organized, and on that note, restrictions on the Opium trade should be examined with economic power structures as much as restrictions on cars, textiles or grains. This was perhaps most evident during the conflict between China and the British Empire, in which both used restrictions and forced liberalization/illegal smuggling respectively (to put it in very general terms) to achieve a better balance business for themselves. Today, in a world where [non-medicinal] opium is almost universally illegal, similar patterns can be seen in different circumstances, as the demand for opium has never really ceased. In modern Afghanistan, networks of small-scale opium producers driven to turn to opium by general insecurity (economic and otherwise), the local officials they bribe, as well as heads of state and tribes whose constituencies (and therefore their power base) depend on the continued survival of the opium trade. It is no mystery that Afghanistan and its American occupiers have proven unable (and often unwilling) to meaningfully combat opium (Chouvy 2011). The sale and use of opium was restricted in 19th century Britain because these restrictions were far more useful as a state weapon against poor or deviant social elements, as well as arguably to combat against legitimate social ills. ......rialists) could provide.Werb, D., Kerr, T., Montaner, J., Wood, E., 'The Need for an Evidence-Based Approach to Controlling Opium Production in Afghanistan', Journal of Public health policy. 2008, Vol. 29 Number 4, p440-448. This article provides a scientific perspective on the opium situation in Afghanistan. It outlines current U.S. actions to eliminate opium in Afghanistan, including simple destruction of the crop and efforts to provide alternatives to Afghans, both of which are largely ineffective, and proposes rendering opium useless through economic development, peace and security. It provides past evidence of the failure of similar anti-drug efforts, briefly describes the social organization of the Afghan opium trade, and provides some statistics.Original researchBased on a conversation with a former U.S. soldier stationed in Afghanistan.