The First Opium War originated when China made an attempt to halt all British opium supply from coming into their country.  The British had been illegally bringing opium up through India which would eventually make its way into China. This opium caused severe economic and social hardships because of the extreme addiction that the Chinese were being crippled by.  In March of 1839, the Chinese government destroyed more than 1,400 tons of opium and fighting broke out when tensions arose between British traders and the Chinese. In the end, the Chinese were required to pay the British a great deal of money and also opened more ports to the British to increase British trade, and consequently influence, into the country.  I find that although conflict ignited to push illegal British trade out of China, The British were still able to come out on top and turn an undesirable situation into a gain that would increase their standing economically and imperially.

Image: Depiction of a sea battle between the British and Chinese during the First Opium Wars.

Source: http://www.britannica.com/topic/Opium-Wars