This week, Chinese news outlets picked up a bizarre story from Turkey that instantly went viral across social media platforms.
The delayed report, originally from April 18th, described Turkish police’s attempt to destroy 20 tons of seized cannabis in an open field. But the smoke drifted straight into a town nearby called Lice, accidentally getting over 25,000 residents sick.
Chinese netizens were quick to contrast it with China’s own drug history. In 1839, Qing official Lin Zexu famously destroyed 1,400 tons of British opium—70 times more than the seized weed in Turkey—by carefully dissolving it in saltwater and lime, avoiding public exposure or environmental damage.
Many also expressed pride in China’s firm approach to drug control today.
