Illicit Drug use in the Asia Pacific Region - Burnet Institute

Situational analysis of illicit drug issues and responses in the Asia–Pacific region
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underestimate . Recently it was identified
that adolescent drug users from Macao were
crossing the border into mainland China,
particularly Guangdong Province, for drug
trafficking and consumption as a result of
the cheap price of the drugs or having family
connections in mainland China (Social Welfare
Institute, 2003, 2004) .
The dominant drug of choice remains heroin,
however many drug users are known to use
cannabis, ‘ice’ methamphetamine, ketamine,
cocaine and various other pills, usually ATS —
mainly ecstasy, MDMA and sedatives (Social
Welfare Institute, 2003, 2004) . In 2003,
the use of heroin, cannabis and sedatives
increased significantly compared to 2002 .
A review of new drug cases in 1999–2003
found that while heroin was the dominant
drug used, its use has in fact been declining
— from 90 per cent in 2000 to 72 per cent in
2003 (Social Welfare Institute, 2004) .
From 2000 onwards the typical profile of
those in treatment included mostly being
heroin-dependent (64% in 2002), aged 20–29
years (60% were aged 30–59 years in 2002),
mostly single males (90% in 2002), most with
primary school education, and many being
jobless (70% were unemployed in 2002) .
Most were born in either Macao or mainland
China, with most beginning drug use as
a result of curiosity or peer pressure (Social
Welfare Institute, 2002, 2003, 2004) .
Data collection systems in place
The Department of Prevention and Treatment
of Drug Dependence monitors drug
treatment services in Macao . This provides
some insights of the drug use situation but
most information is only from the registry
records of its outpatient centre (comprising
data from voluntary drug dependants) and
consequently does not represent the overall
drug situation of Macao . A drug dependants
central registration database system
is planned, in order to enhance an exchange
with the Health Bureau, Judicial departments
and other frontline organisations to provide
a more representative picture of drug issues
in Macao (Social Welfare Institute, 2003) .
A7 .3 Drug supply, production,
availability, cost and trade
There is no evidence to indicate Macao is
a drug-producing area: the problems are
of drug consumption and trafficking . The
main sources of illegal drugs entering
Macao are mainland China, Hong Kong and
other parts of Southeast Asia: most of the
narcotics originate from the Golden Triangle
but mainland China is currently much more
involved in the production of ATS (Social
Welfare Institute, 2003; United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime, 2004a) . Most
illicit drugs are available locally but recently
adolescent drug users from Macao have been
detected crossing the border into mainland
China, particularly Guangdong Province, for
drug trafficking and consumption (Social
Welfare Institute, 2003) .
In 2002, a typical retail price (per gram)
for heroin was US$50 with a price range
of US$37–62 . A wholesale price was not
available . The retail price for cannabis in
2002 was typically US$12 per gram, while
methamphetamine typically retailed at
US$18 per gram . Ecstasy was typically sold
for US$22 per tablet (United Nations Office
on Drugs and Crime, 2004b) .
Arrest and seizure data
In 2004 the Judicial Police arrested 197 drug
users (up from 130 in 2002) and 73 persons
suspected of drug trafficking (74 in 2002) . Of
those arrested for drug use and trafficking in
2004, 65 per cent were male (Judicial Police,
2004) . In 2004, drug seizures amounted to
54 grams of heroin (stable), 3169 grams
of cannabis (increase from 125 grams in
2002), 231 grams of cocaine (increase from
27 grams in 2002), 498 grams of ketamine
(down from 785 grams in 2002), 181 grams
of methamphetamine (down from 640 grams
in 2002) (Judicial Police, 2004; Social Welfare
Institute, 2003) . In 2002, 30 per cent
of all those detained for drug trafficking
and drug consumption were under 21 years
of age . In one incident three male students
in school uniforms smuggled drugs, valued
at MOP$300,000, from the hinterland to
Macao . The number of people charged with
drug-related offences increases with each
year (Social Welfare Institute, 2002, 2003) .
Crop studies and crop eradication efforts
Macao is not a known producer of opiates
or cannabis .
A7 .4 Drug-taking practices,
risk factors and trends
Heroin is the drug of choice . According to
drug treatment centre data in 2002, the
favoured method of administration is injecting
(55%) . Fume inhalation is the next favoured
method, commonly taking the form of
‘chasing the dragon’ (Social Welfare Institute,
2001, 2003) .
An analysis of 384 persons in treatment in
2003 found that 52 per cent were intravenous
users and 12 per cent were intramuscular
users . Among the new treatment cases,
intravenous injection was the main mode
of administration between 1999 and 2003 .
There was a decreasing trend of inhalation
of the drug — this is reportedly linked to an
increase in the use of pills (Social Welfare
Institute, 2004) .
A recent study, ‘Research of Drug Abuse
Situation among the Youth from the Street
in Macao’, found through a convenience
sampling method that the drugs of choice
were ketamine, cannabis and ecstasy, and
that most drank alcohol with these drugs;
among females, the taking of pills was
viewed as more acceptable than among
males (Social Welfare Institute, 2004) .
Another study, ‘The Research of Drug Abuse
Situation among University Students’, interviewed
3639 students and found the use of
pills, cannabis and heroin consumption were
3 .4 per cent, 2 .7 per cent and 1 .5 per cent
respectively . Of those interviewed, 24 per cent
reported friends who consumed pills and
cannabis, and 8 .5 per cent used heroin .
A final report, ‘Study of Substance Abuse
Situation and Evaluation of Treatment and
Rehabilitation in Macao’, showed an increase
in the use of psychotropic substances and an
increase in the number of addicted immigrants
from mainland China entering the treatment
facilities of Macao . It was also found
that sharing of syringes among IDUs was
common; as a consequence, the message of
HIV and other diseases transmitted by shared
syringes needs to be reinforced among this
community (Social Welfare Institute, 2004) .
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Country profiles: Macao (Special Administrative Region, China)