Chinese netizens are outraged at the history being taught to one class of primary schoolers in Hong Kong.

In video filmed by a mother sitting alongside her second-grader during an online history class, the child’s teacher claims that the reason behind the First Opium War between China and Great Britain was the Western nation’s humanitarian concern for smokers in the Middle Kingdom.

“In order to ban smoking, Great Britain dispatched troops to attack China,” the teacher says.

“Why did they do this? It was because Great Britain discovered that many people in China were smoking and smoking tobacco at the time,” he continues. “The problem was quite serious, so they launched this war to put an end to this item called ‘opium.'”

Of course, as any Chinese student will quickly tell you, the First Opium War began for completely the opposite reason, launched after Chinese officials seized British traders’ illegal opium, resulting in Britain dispatching a military force in the name of “free trade” and getting the traders paid back for their lost cargo.

The war resulted in the Qing government being forced to pay 21 million silver dollars for the destroyed opium and war reparations, cede the island of Hong Kong to Britain, and open more foreign treaty ports for trade.

Meanwhile, opium continued to flow into China for decades from British and other foreign traders.

According to a domestic media report, the mother contacted the school and demanded that the teacher be punished. The school has reportedly intervened but the result has yet to be announced.