Drugs and Empires introduces new research from a range of historians that re-evaluates the relationship between intoxicants and empires in the modern world. It re-examines controversies about such issues as the Asian opium trade or the sale of alcohol in Africa. It addresses new areas of research, including the impact of imperial drugs profits on American history, or the place of African states in the development of international regulations. The outcome is to provoke new perspectives on both drugs and empires.