早在林則徐虎門銷煙半年之前，天津就進(jìn)行了大規(guī)模的銷煙活動(dòng)。清道光十二年(1832),英國大鴉片販子查頓，開始向天津直接走私鴉片。租賃了新造的飛剪船 “氣仙號(hào)”出航上海和天津，并請(qǐng)德籍傳教士做翻譯，利用傳教、賄賂等手段，大量銷售鴉片。鴉片走私進(jìn)入天津，多數(shù)是通過福建、廣東的商船，從英國鴉片販子手中轉(zhuǎn)販而來的。
道光十八年七月二十七日(1838年9月15日),江西道監(jiān)察御史狄聽上奏了《請(qǐng)飭拿天津洋船夾帶鴉片由》的奏折。
轉(zhuǎn)天，道光皇帝命直隸總督琦善 “嚴(yán)密查拿，按律懲辦”。八月十八日，琦善奏報(bào)先后拿獲煙土160000余兩，人犯11名，提到省里審辦。九月十九日(11月5日),琦善奏報(bào)天津鎮(zhèn)道在大沽口 “金廣興”號(hào)洋船上，查獲煙土82口袋，計(jì)重13. 1536萬兩，并起獲煙槍107根，以及煙燈、煙鍋等煙具和軍械。道光皇帝大為震驚稱： “天津一船之內(nèi)，夾帶如許之多，此外浸灌各省?？谡吒y數(shù)計(jì)?！备鶕?jù)新編《紅橋區(qū)志》記載：原擬將所獲煙土、煙具集中在大沽口一帶海河岸邊積薪焚燒，但 “不免融結(jié)成塊，間有存性” 。改用舊存助賑鐵鍋數(shù)十口，在教軍場(chǎng)用土坯砌成鍋圈，架鍋于上，鍋內(nèi) “沃以桐油，燒熱投入煙土，頃刻成膏，再加焚燒，膏亦著火，焦枯無用。仍將余澤揉碎，拋棄海河”。一切煙具，亦同時(shí)銷毀。
天津衛(wèi)的教軍場(chǎng)，原在衛(wèi)城的東南，明弘治年間，兵備道劉福，移教軍場(chǎng)于西門外； 康熙十三年(1674),總兵田進(jìn)學(xué)重修，有演武廳、將臺(tái)、旗纛廟等。同治年間，因演武廳儲(chǔ)存火藥，不慎被焚，后經(jīng)重修，成為直隸總督每年閱兵的地方； 旁設(shè)親兵營。清末廢，舊址改為罪犯習(xí)藝所(今人民醫(yī)院)址。
天津的銷煙，比道光十九年四月二十二日(1839年6月3日)林則徐在虎門海灘轟轟烈烈的銷煙早了半年之久。天津是當(dāng)時(shí)國內(nèi)一次性銷毀煙土最多的口岸。
In 1832 (the 12th year of Emperor Daoguang in the QingDynasty),Jardine started to smuggle opium into Tianjin.At first,he did not get much; then he rented newly-madeship and sailed to Shanghai and Tianjin. He employeda German missionary as his translator and sold largequantity of opium through missionize and bribe. Most ofthe opium smuggled into Tianjin by merchant ships fromFujian and Guangdong provinces were bought from theBritish opium traders.
On Sep 15,1838,Di Ting,cencor of JiangxiProvince submitted a memorial to the throne titled"Request to Detain Tianjin Foreign Merchant Ships thatSmuggle Opium."
On the next day,Emperor Daoguang issued anorder to Qishan,the Governor-General of Zhili,tocrack down on the smuggling of opium and punishthose involved. Qishan reported that he had detained 11convicts and over 160 thousand liang crude opium,and aforeign ship had carried 82 bags of crude opium (about 6576.8 kilograms),107 opium pipes,and lots of opiumlights,opium pots and weapons. Emperor Daoguang wasshocked,"That`s too much,even in a ship in Tianjin. Icannot imagine how much opium has been imported bysea in other provinces." According to the newly compiledHongqiao Annual: they filled dozens of steel pots withoil,boiled the oil and put the opium into the pots; soonthe opium turned into grease and then caught fire andthen turned into nothing; in the end,they crushed theremains and dropped it into Hai River. The opium pipeswere also burned at the same time.
This action was half-year earlier before Lin Zexu`sdestroy of opium at Humen Seaport in GuangdongProvince.

·天津銷煙 (國畫作者季源業(yè))