Prison sentences for two convicted teenage drug traffickers in Hunan have sparked debate over the prevalence of drug use among the young. The Guangming Daily reports on the problem.
According to data from Shijingshan People’s Court in Beijing, drug abusers tend to be young – from 2014 to the end of 2017, people born in the 1990s accounted for the 60 percent of total drug convictions.
In addition to the problem of minors being more susceptible to peer pressure, the news article reports that drugs themselves are getting more dangerous.
While traditional drugs such as heroin continue to spark fear, the popularity of these drugs has decreased in recent years. Young people have more chance of coming into contact with new drugs, which are poorly regulated and contribute to crime. Drug traffickers – regardless of their age – face criminal punishment.
Awareness is needed of new drugs and their potential harms, the editorial says. The authorities should also issue new regulations to manage new threats.
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