CRI听力:China's drug war sees success, yet still faces challenges: official

Tuesday, June 26th, marks this year's International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

A report issued by China's National Narcotics Control Commission says achievements have been made in China's drug war, but warns that tough challenges still exist.

The report shows that by the end of last year, China had over 2.5 million registered drug users, an increase of 1.9% year-on-year, with more than half of them between the ages of 18 and 35.

However, nearly 1.7 million drug users have been drug-free for at least three years without relapse.

Liu Yuejin, deputy director of China's National Narcotics Control Commission, says the growth of new drug users has been effectively curbed.

"In 2017, anti-drug authorities at all levels nationwide launched numerous educational and promotional campaigns, and also supported and guided non-governmental participation in combating narcotics addiction and smuggling. The drug-prevention programs, especially for teenagers, continued to make progress. The number of newly-uncovered juvenile drug users under the age of 35 nationwide dropped by 19% year on year in 2017," says Liu Yuejin.

China last year busted 140,000 criminal drug cases, with 169,000 suspects arrested and 89.2 tons of narcotics seized.

Authorities also cracked 597 drug-making cases, destroying 317 drug-making centers.

However, the penetration of narcotics from abroad still continued last year.

"While continuing to produce traditional narcotics such as heroin, the drug-producing region, the Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia, has also begun to produce and smuggle synthetic drugs including meth and ketamine. A total of 82 large meth cases related to the Golden Triangle were busted last year. An increasing amount of poppies have been planted in the Golden Crescent region, which is located at the crossroads of Central, South and Western Asia, making it a major source of heroin smuggled into China. More and more cocaine smugglers from South America have also chosen China as their transfer station," says Liu Yuejin.

Currently nearly 240,000 drug users are receiving compulsory drug rehabilitation treatment at 361 centers across the country.

China's Vice Minister of Justice, Liu Zhiqiang, says a team of professionals has been created to treat drug addiction in a unified, scientific way.

"Professional medical treatment, education, psychological care and rehabilitative training are all key parts of detoxification. The Ministry of Justice has built a team of professionals to meet the needs of drug addicts by regulating and upgrading the methods used to treat them," says Liu Zhiqiang.

The team includes medical workers, psychological counselors as well as instructors in rehabilitative training.

More provincial-level hospitals will also be set up to treat drug users suffering from severe withdrawals during their treatments.