▁O pi um ▁Commission er ▁on ▁July ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 0 8 . ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 0 9 , ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁U . S . ▁delegate ▁to ▁the ▁International ▁O pi um ▁Commission ▁in ▁Shang hai , ▁China . ▁He ▁served ▁at ▁the ▁follow - on ▁conference ▁at ▁The ▁H ague ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 . ▁ ▁William ▁Howard ▁T aft ▁saw ▁that ▁the ▁U . S . ▁could ▁capital ize ▁on ▁the ▁Chinese ▁market ▁if ▁it ▁would ▁join ▁forces ▁with ▁them ▁in ▁comb ating ▁their ▁op ium ▁problem . ▁The ▁problem ▁was , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁didn ' t ▁have ▁its ▁own ▁house ▁in ▁order . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁Wright ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁many ▁U . S . ▁anti - d rug ▁cr us aders . ▁" Of ▁all ▁the ▁nations ▁of ▁the ▁world , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁cons umes ▁most ▁habit - form ing ▁dru gs ▁per ▁cap ita ," ▁Wright ▁said ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 , ▁calling ▁op ium ▁" the ▁most ▁per n icious ▁drug ▁known ▁to ▁human ity ." ▁ ▁His ▁wife , ▁Elizabeth ▁Wright , ▁was ▁an ▁ass essor ▁to ▁the ▁League ▁of ▁Nations ▁O pi um ▁Ad vis ory ▁Committee ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁although ▁the ▁British ▁Foreign ▁Office ▁called ▁her ▁" in comp et ent , ▁pre jud iced , ▁ignor ant , ▁and ▁so ▁constit uted ▁temper ament ally ▁as ▁to ▁afford ▁a ▁ready ▁means