China could have 2.3 million drug addicts

New Delhi, June 26 : With drug abuse on the rise in China, there could be estimated 2.3 million drug addicts in the country, according to a health official.

The new 2008 Annual Report on Drug Control in China has revealed that number of known drug addicts in the country has risen to 1 million from 900,000 in 2006

"Our investigations in some high-risk cities show the ratio between known and unidentified drug addicts is about 1:1.3," China Daily quoted Yang Fengrui, director of the anti-drug bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, as saying.

That means it is suspected up to 1.3 million addicts are yet to be identified.

Fengrui blames the increasing number of drug addicts to the new types of drugs such as Ice and Ketamine made in China.

He said that nearly 80 percent of the drug addicts in China are addicted to heroin, but the number of those addicted to new types of drugs such as Ice and Ketamine is growing rapidly, especially among people below 35.

"Migrant workers in cities have become a high-risk group," he said.

According to the police figures, 5.8 tons of Ice was seized in the country last year, up 26 percent over 2006, though heroin seizures fell to 5.9 tons from the 6.6 tons in 2006.

ANI