The United States is in the midst of an opioid crisis, driven largely by the greed and deceptive marketing practices of large industrial corporations. However, it might shock most of us to know that the US, along with Britain and other Western nations triggered an opioid crisis in China that lasted for more than a century. In his book “Smoke and Ashes: Opium’s Hidden Histories,” renowned writer Amitav Ghosh explores the history of the opium trade and its relationship to the present day opioid crisis.