Guangdong home to largest number of drug users

Guangdong is home to the largest number of drug addicts in China, according to one of its top officials. The South China province has also cracked the most drug-related cases, said Liang Shaofen, deputy director of internal and judicial affairs for the Guangdong people's congress.

The data was part of a report on narcotics controls Liang delivered on May 29 to the congress' standing committee.

He said there are more than 300,000 registered drug addicts in Guangdong, an increase of 111 percent on 2007. The figure represents 17 percent of the national total.

The users of new types of synthetic drugs, such as ketamine, ice and ecstasy, are mostly young people, and now make up an increasing proportion of addicts, according to the report.

Drug addiction has caused one-third of the property assault cases in the province, Liang said.

More than 46,000 drug-related cases were cracked in the past three years, with more than 50,000 suspects caught, he said.

Provincial authorities have poured in more than 100 million yuan ($15.7 million) to fund the anti-drug work of the police each of the past three years.

Guangdong has become a major drug distribution place and a channel for international drug trafficking in China, Liang said. It is also a main area for synthetic drug manufacturing.

Lufeng, a city in eastern Guangdong, has seen rampant drug manufacturing-related crimes. The city was listed by the National Narcotics Control Commission last year as a serious area to tackle.

Liang's internal and judicial affairs committee suggests in the report that the provincial government step up financial support for building detention houses and drug rehabilitation centers.

It also suggests that methadone treatment be made more accessible and the standing committee of the provincial people's congress formulate provincial narcotics control regulation.