<span>True, the East India Company would bring goods back to Britain in exchange for gold because, </span> Opium was first introduced to China by Turkish and Arab traders in the late 6th or early 7th century. Taken orally to relieve tension and pain, the drug was used in limited quantities until the 17th century, when the practice of smoking tobacco spread from North America to China. The smoking of opium soon became popular throughout China; opium addiction increased, and opium importations grew rapidly. By 1729 it had become sucha problem that the Yung-cheng emperor (ruled 1722–35) prohibited the sale and smoking of opium. This failed to hamper the trade, and in 1796 the Chia-ch'ing emperor outlawed opium importation and cultivation. In spite of such decrees, however, the opium trade continued to flourish
