The World Drug Report 2024, published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), indicates that the number of drug users worldwide has risen by 20% over the past decade. In contrast, Taiwan has made significant progress through its implementation of the New Generation Anti-Drug Strategy Guidelines, phase one and phase two (2017-2020 and 2021-2024). Integrating cross-ministerial capabilities, the government has seized large quantities of drugs while successfully reducing both the overall population of drug users and the number of first-time offenders year after year.
The fight against drugs is an ongoing, long-term campaign. To continue tackling the domestic drug issue, the Executive Yuan in November 2024 passed phase three of the strategy guidelines (2025-2028), which will allocate about NT$15 billion (US$461.4 million) to areas such as drug enforcement and rehabilitation. Moreover, it will proactively expand addiction recovery resources and strengthen medical counseling and community support for drug users, with the goals of facilitating stable reintegration and reducing re-offenses. These efforts aim to build a more comprehensive, fine-tuned and sturdy social safety net.
Key strategies
■ Drug enforcement: Focus on leveraging technologies to combat drugs. Cooperate internationally on counter-narcotics operations. Enhance maritime enforcement capabilities. Tighten border controls to stop smuggling. Expand drug sweeps under the operation "safe home" initiative. Crack down on drug dealing among youth and on school campuses. Prevent the spread of drugs within the military.
■ Drug screening: Tighten regulation of industrial precursor chemicals. Prevent illegal use of concerned chemical substances. Develop a comprehensive inventory of reference standards for emerging drugs. Bolster the capabilities of private sector drug testing institutions. These efforts will help judicial authorities improve their ability to detect emerging drugs in seized evidence.
■ Drug rehabilitation: Cooperate closely with drug abuse prevention centers in each county and city, as well as with civic society organizations, utilizing medical treatment, education and other methods to help drug users overcome their addictions and reintegrate into homes and communities.
■ Drug education: Promote public advisories regarding emerging drugs and cannabis. Strengthen drug use inspection and reporting networks. Improve service networks and individual drug counseling for students. Reinforce family support services and protective networks to prevent children from becoming involved with drugs. These efforts will ensure the public clearly understands the harmful effects of drugs and avoids their use.