Teenagers are susceptible to influence, especially anything illegal, and drugs always hold a special interest. With new psychoactive substances popping up in China at a dizzying rate, Nanjing Police recently took its anti-drug effort into a local middle school.
On the afternoon of 25 June, the anti-drug brigade of the Jianye branch of Nanjing Public Security Bureau came to Nanjing Nanhu No.2 Middle School. They brought with them their “Healthy Life” campaign, with the theme of “Green and Non-toxic”.
That the officers appeared at a middle school shows the seriousness of the problem. After all, it’s a tough job for law enforcement to keep up with the number of psychoactive substances which appear on the market.
At a press conference held in Chongqing Municipality on 22 June on the effectiveness of local drug control work, it was revealed that a total 317 new psychoactive substances have been found in China, with more than 50 emerging in the past 3 years.
Among them, synthetic cannabinoids are a particular worry. According to the USA’s National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Synthetic cannabinoids are human-made mind-altering chemicals that are either sprayed on dried, shredded plant material so they can be smoked or sold as liquids to be vaporised and inhaled in e-cigarettes and other devices”. Synthetic cannabinoids are also known as herbal or liquid incense.
Police have considerable concern about three new substances with which teenagers are likely to come into contact; “poison candy” (毒糖果), “Natasha” (娜塔沙) and “twigs” (小树枝), reports the Yangtze Evening News.
Those who consume these synthetic cannabinoids shall likely be entranced, experiencing confusion, dizziness and vomiting. Overdosing can cause shock, suffocation and even sudden death.
After introducing the basic knowledge and harmful effects of illicit substances, police conducting the campaign in the Nanjing middle school also organised an anti-drug knowledge competition and a display of substances to help students gain a better understanding.
It’s not the first time China has taken radical measures in her fight against drugs. In 2018, domestic sewage was even targeted, as law enforcement sought the tell-tale signs of drug use. According to Nature Magazine at the time, “Officials have been chemically examining sewage for traces of drugs or metabolites, bodily substances created after the human body interacts with certain drugs, in people’s urine”.
But hopefully, that won’t be necessary in Nanjing, if efforts such as the campaign at Nanhu No.2 Middle School pay off to form better awareness and good habits from a young age.
