The Drug Problem In China Is Growing
A Reuter’s (Beijing) article, published in Business Insider, just covered the rise of heroin and methamphetamine abuse in China. 2014 saw nearly 49,000 drug-related deaths and an estimated financial loss of approximately 500 billion yuan ($80 billion is U.S. dollars).
The story indicates that China has instituted a nationwide crackdown on drugs in response to a growing middle class with greater disposable income. Some speculate that this has fueled an increase in the number of drug addicts.
Mentioned in the piece was the son of martial arts movie star, Jackie Chan. His son, Jaycee age 32, was just released from jail following a 6 month sentence for drug charges. The assistant minister of public security in China was quoted as saying that the country has about 14 million known drug abusers.
A variety of synthetic drugs are being smuggled into the country from both Southeast Asia and South Asian countries including Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Pakistan.
Drug crimes can carry severe penalties in countries around the world. In China, even life imprisonment and the death penalty have been enacted in serious cases.
The Reuters article reported that there has been a substantial increase in Chinese methamphetamine addiction. A 41% increase was noted just in 2014 with an estimated 1.2 million people using the drug.
