China gets tough on drug crimes

• Source: Global Times
• [07:43 June 26 2009]
• Comments

Drug abusers must register with the Office of China National Narcotics Control Commission after being caught, and according to the group’s annual report released this year, there were 1,126,700 registered names. Names are removed from the list after three years if the person stays drug-free.

But Wang reckoned that figure just scratches the surface of the overall abuse, saying about seven times as many people are not apprehended, which would put the actual abuse figure at close to 9 million.

Fast growth in the abuse of newer drugs could be attributed to strong curiosity by youths, the fascination of addiction and even as a way to lose weight, Wang said.

“Some people see drugs as a sign of success and identity. Reports of singers and celebrities being caught using drugs have very harmful effects on teenagers,” Wang said. “And some entertainment places give drugs to youths for free, luring them into the drug world.”

Newer drugs, mostly chemical synthetics, are often easier to make and procure than the traditional ones that comprise raw materials that must be imported from outside a country’s borders, Wang said.

To combat the rising drug use, China has intensified its efforts in establishing rehabilitation centers, said Chen Xunqiu, vice minister of justice.

A total of 179 rehabilitation centers are in operation across the country, with more than 3,200 professional psychological consultants, and they have treated nearly 100,000 drug users in recent years, Chen said.

There are between 20 million and 24 million serious drug users around the world, or less than 1 percent of the world’s population, and around 200,000 people die annually from drug-related causes, according to a report released Wednesday by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.

The office’s executive director, Antonio Maria Costa, presented the results, noting that the global use of cocaine, heroin and cannabis fell last year while production of stimulants rose, according to an AFP report.

Kang Juan and Zhang Han contributed to this story