Pubdate: Mon, 12 Feb 2001
Source: Age, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2001 The Age Company Ltd
Contact:  250 Spencer Street, Melbourne, 3000, Australia
Website: http://www.theage.com.au/
Forum: http://forums.f2.com.au/login/login.asp?board=TheAge-Talkback
Author: John Schauble

DRUG PROBLEM ON THE RISE IN CHINA

China has a rapidly growing drug problem, with a 25 per cent increase in 
the number of drug addicts and rising seizures of illicit drugs.

Figures released by the National Narcotics Control Commission at a 
conference in Beijing show there were 860,000 registered drug addicts in 
China by the end of last year. An official white paper on narcotic abuse 
issued by the central government last June put the figure at 681,000.

The official figures suggest a six-fold increase in drug addicts over the 
past decade.

Police seized 30 per cent more methamphetamines last year, the 
English-language China Daily reported at the weekend.

The narcotics control commission said police recorded 96,189 drug cases in 
2000, almost double the number in the previous year. About 57,000 suspected 
drug dealers were arrested.

Public Security Minister Jia Chunwang said China faced a growing problem 
with imported and domestically produced drugs. China borders the "Golden 
Triangle" area of Burma, Thailand and Laos and many shipments of heroin 
make their way into and through China.

"More than 95 per cent of China's heroin consumption was smuggled from the 
Golden Triangle," Mr Jia said.

Law enforcement authorities have pledged a comprehensive campaign to tackle 
the country's drug problem. Serious drug offences, such as trafficking, 
attract the death penalty in China. The government last year announced a 
"show no mercy" policy to traffickers and users.

Most Chinese drug addicts are heroin users. About 6.3 tonnes of heroin were 
seized last year - one tonne more than in 1999. In addition, 2.4 tonnes of 
opium and 20 tonnes of methamphetamines were also confiscated.

Almost 80 per cent of drug users in China are aged under 35 years, 
according to the government. The drug problem is worst in the south of the 
country, but there is reportedly an increasing drug problem in many major 
Chinese cities.

Historically, China has been plagued by drug use. Widespread opium 
addiction during the 18th and 19th centuries crippled the Chinese economy 
and its people, especially in the south. The importation of opium into 
China by the British in the 18th century led to two wars and contributed to 
the end of the Qing dynasty.

Dealing with opium addiction was a priority of the communist regime in the 
1950s. Strict enforcement and re-education programs saw drug use largely 
eradicated until a decade or so ago.
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