[Hwankyung Ilbo] The debate on drug-related policies is currently the hottest topic in our society.
Illegal drug distribution using the internet, social media, and virtual currency is increasing significantly. According to a press release issued by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on Nov. 7, the number of drug offenders from January to September 2023 was 20,230, an increase of 47.6 percent year-on-year, and the first time in the 30-year history of the statistics.
According to the National Police Agency statistics, there were also 1083 secondary crimes committed while under the influence of drugs in the last five years.
Drug offenders in their 20s and 30s account for more than half of all drug offenders (52.4%), and the proportion of drug offenders by occupation is the highest among unemployed people (29.8%), followed by 9.1% of unknown, and 5.1% of office workers and students.
Low awareness of 'drug misuse' among 20s and 30s
According to the '2022 Public Awareness Survey Report on the Harms of Drug Abuse' published by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, people in their 20s and 30s are less aware of the harms of drug abuse than people in their 40s. These results suggest that there is an indirect causal relationship between the increasing number of drug offenders in their 20s and 30s.
The study also found that while the awareness of propofol and zolpidem was high, the awareness of phentermine, a so-called "weight loss drug," was low.
In particular, drug-related crimes in Korea are already reaching young people and housewives, and the image of a "drug-free country" is disappearing as illegal manufacturing and distribution are on the rise.
A group that made and sold methamphetamine in a rooftop room in a residential area was once caught by police, and they were caught manufacturing methamphetamine by extracting narcotic raw materials from over-the-counter medicines that do not require a prescription, such as cold medicines, which are commonly available in the market.
In addition, the victim of the so-called "Rolls-Royce" car accident that once made headlines in South Korea, a woman in her 20s who was seriously injured when a drugged driver hit her while driving a luxury foreign car, a Rolls-Royce, died about four months after the incident.
Under these circumstances, Representative Seo Jeong-sook, who hosted a policy debate for a 'safe society without drugs' at the National Assembly on the 28th, said, "Drugs are an obvious social evil that destroys the foundation of society, breaking down individuals and families, and wreaking havoc on society and humanity." She emphasized that in order to eradicate drugs, not only the police and prosecutors but also the healthcare community need to put their heads together to come up with reasonable measures.
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