A total of 51,000 drug-related cases were reported in Taiwan from January to July this year, a 20 percent increase year on year, a report from the island's statistics department said Tuesday.
More than 27,000 people were indicted for involvement in drug offenses in the seven months, up 20.9 percent year on year, according to the report, which also said 6,250 people were put in jail for drug offenses, an increase of 12.3 percent year on year.
The number of people placed under observation or forced to receive treatment increased 19.5 percent and 7.3 percent, respectively, according to the report.
Meanwhile, 28,000 people were in prison for drug-related cases by the end of July, accounting for about half of the entire prison population on the island.
