Pubdate: Sun, 14 Jan 2007
Source: Korea Times (South Korea)
Copyright: 2007 The Hankookilbo
Contact:  http://times.hankooki.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/916

Drug Abuse

NARCOTICS PERVADE ALL SECTORS OF SOCIETY

Rampant abuse of narcotics is pervading all sectors of our society. 
What is worrisome is the fact that new narcotics, unheard of here 
before, are easily finding their way into the country in accordance 
with the growing internationalization of drug trafficking.  Another 
terrifying fact is that they are no longer bought and sold secretly 
in drinking houses or on the black market among habitual users. They 
are openly marketed through Internet sites under the cover of being 
sleeping pills or health food.

According to a police announcement last week, the number of people 
arrested for using or trafficking drugs last year was 4,985, a 
whopping 22 percent rise over that of the previous year. A variety of 
drugs being sold through Internet sites are delivered immediately to 
anyone who pays, the police said.  However, the police said, it is 
extremely difficult to track the dealers because they close their 
sites after a few deals and open new ones.

Methamphetamine, philopon or other stimulants used to be the drugs 
that were most widely abused here, but a growing number of new drugs 
of various forms are becoming widely available. Some of them can be 
easily manufactured in homes and hotels, according to police. 
Moreover, a lot of foreign and Korean tourists are smuggling 
narcotics into Korea passing undetected through strict airport 
inspections. The range of drug users, once limited to those in the 
entertainment industry, is rapidly expanding to ordinary people 
including salaried persons, housewives, farmers and even high-school students.

Drug abuse is so common that people tend to overlook the seriousness 
of drug-related crimes because discoveries and confiscation of banned 
drugs are now a regular occurrence. This issue deserves the utmost 
attention from the public as rampant drug abuse, if left unchecked, 
could threaten society's very existence. As is the case in foreign 
countries, the most heinous crimes are often associated with drug 
use.  No one can feel secure in a society where the use of narcotics 
is rampant.

The police estimate that the number of habitual drug abusers might 
have reached 300,000 to 1 million here.  However, the seriousness of 
the situation lies in the fact that known cases are only the tip of 
the iceberg.  The actual number of narcotic abusers and the amount of 
drugs in circulation are far higher than we can imagine. Making 
matters worse, drug trafficking networks are becoming globalized in 
step with borderless commodity transactions. Smuggling methods are 
also becoming sophisticated.

Cooperative relationships among neighboring nations should be 
strengthened to combat drug users and traffickers. Drug abuse is said 
to be widespread in an  'unsettled period' like the aftermath of a 
war or in times of economic difficulties. The recent drug boom may 
thus have been fueled by lingering economic hardships. An education 
program is necessary to explain to people the terrifying effects of 
drugs. Those who become addicted are faced with physical and mental ruin.

The drug situation here has reached a crisis level and the government 
must take appropriate measures if we are to get a handle on this 
problem before it is too late. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake