In China, some restaurants add illegal opium poppy to their food to keep customers coming back. In late August, a restaurant in Jiangsu Province was busted for using poppy shells as seasoning after one of its customers went to the local police station with a sample of a dish he had ordered. The illegal and harmful practice is not uncommon as it is encouraged by the highly competitive and morally corrupt business environment in China, one observer noted. Poppy shells contain opioids and adding them to foods is strictly forbidden in China, due to its addictive and various toxic side effects. But for more than 2o years, restaurant owners have been using poppy shells to hook customers, despite repeated prohibitions. Hotpots or noodles laced with ground poppy shells have a unique aroma, making the dish very flavorful and addictive. In late August, a man in Lianyungang city, Jiangsu Province went to …