The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was established by the United Nations and has been held every year since 26 June 1988.
The date June 26 was chosen to mark the success of Lin Zashu, a member of the Chinese government, to stop the British trade in opium in China in exchange for expensive goods. He forced the British Trade Commissioner to give him all the opium that the British had in China, which caused tension between the Chinese and the British in the country and even violence. It happened in 1839 in Guangdong, China, just before the first Opium War.
The United Nations declared the day of fighting drugs and combating illegal trade at the General Assembly on December 7, 1987.
June 26 is also Beauticians' Day and Madagascar's Independence Day