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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2 .3 China
Population: 1,298,847,624
2 .3 .1 Overview of
recent drug trends
The drug of choice for drug users in China
is heroin, followed by benzodiazepines
(including triazolam, diazepam, clonazepam
and nitrazepam), other opiates such as
morphine and opium, cannabis, ketamine
and amphetamine-type substances (ATS),
such as ‘ice’ and ‘ecstasy’ . In China’s growing
urban centres, use of MDMA (‘ecstasy’) has
become increasingly popular while cannabis
use is widespread in Xinjiang . The use of ATS
was rare until 1995 but is currently expanding
rapidly: there is a perception that ecstasy
and methamphetamine are the most popular
drugs consumed .
2 .3 .2 Prevalence of drug use
The Government of China acknowledges
that the number of drug users is much
higher than those who are registered . As of
late 2003, the number of registered drug
users was 1,050,000, a 15-fold increase,
accounting for 0 .081 per cent of China’s
total population . Officially, some suggest
the number of drug users ranges from an
estimated 6–8 million; unofficially, estimates
are as high as 12 million . However, it must
be stated this is not based on scientific or
epidemiological studies . The estimated
number of injecting drug users (IDUs) ranges
from a low of 356,000 to 3,500,000 with a
mid-range figure of 1,928,000 .
2 .3 .3 Drug supply
The growing of illicit opium is minor, and
manufacturing of heroin within China’s
national borders has not yet been identified
. Most heroin produced in Myanmar is
reportedly trafficked through China, which
has become an important transhipment route
for the international market . This proliferation
of drug trafficking in China largely emerged as
a result of new routes from Afghanistan into
western China, particularly Xinjiang Province .
Cannabis is grown mainly in Xinjiang and
Yunnan, primarily for domestic use .
The ephedrine plant grows wild in many
parts of north-east China and the chemical
extracted from the plant is processed for
pharmaceutical purposes . Methamphetamine
laboratories are located in various provinces
along the eastern and south-eastern coastal
areas . China in recent years has become a
major source of methamphetamine for many
Southeast Asian and Pacific rim nations .
Chinese law authorities also note a surge
in the production of MDMA, mostly for
the domestic market in Beijing, Shanghai,
Nanjing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen . China
also produces the chemical potassium permanganate,
known to be sold to Latin America to
refine cocaine .
2 .3 .4 Drug-taking practices,
risk factors and trends
Smoking of heroin is still popular but the
trend towards injecting is well established .
Ecstasy is generally taken orally or by smoking,
while ‘ice’ is usually inhaled or smoked:
there are reports of injecting methamphetamine,
sometimes mixing it with heroin, but
it is difficult to gauge how widespread the
practice is . Reports show that unsafe injecting
is widespread among drug users, the greatest
risk factor being the sharing of syringes .
2 .3 .5 Summary table
Sexual risk behaviours among drug users are
alarming, with multiple sexual partners common
and the rate of condom use in sex being
low . By 2002, HIV was found among drug
users in all 31 provinces, autonomous regions
and municipalities . In 2001, 70 per cent of
all HIV cases were found among IDUs, but
as of 2003 the proportion of reported HIV
among IDUs had dropped to 44 per cent: IDU
remains the main HIV transmission route in
China . The prevalence of hepatitis C among
IDUs was mostly above 70 per cent .
Estimated number of current drug users 1,050,000 registered but an estimated
6–12 million in total . Estimated number
of injecting drug users ranges from
356,000 to 3,500,000
Main drugs used Heroin, benzodiazepines, amphetaminetype
substances (methamphetamines,
ecstasy), cannabis, opium, ketamine
Drugs injected Heroin, methamphetamine, diazepam,
pethidine, morphine
Estimated prevalence of
HIV infection among IDUs
As of 2003 the proportion of reported
HIV among IDUs was 44% . In some
areas the prevalence rises above 80% .
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Country summaries: China