Ketamine control, inter-agency campaigns, and public-private cooperation on rehabilitation were discussed at today's Executive Yuan drug prevention meeting, while the officers who this August intercepted a large quantity of heroin en route to Taiwan were honored.
Premier Chen noted that there have been many calls for the government to reclassify ketamine from a Schedule III controlled substance to a Schedule II substance, including from members of the Legislative Yuan. The premier personally believes ketamine should be considered Schedule III for processing of users, most of whom are young people whose futures would be negatively impacted by harsher penalties, but Schedule II for punishment of makers, sellers and smugglers of the drug due to its widespread proliferation. He has asked the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to deliberate this question using the Statute for Narcotics Hazard Control as a basis.
The MOJ has proposed to launch a nationwide civilian campaign to combat the spread of ketamine. The premier instructed it to hold a press conference in tandem with the Ministry of the Interior (MOI), Ministry of Finance, Ministry of National Defense (MND), Ministry of Education (MOE) and Department of Health (DOH) to explain this plan to the public.
With respect to the MOJ's current enforcement proposal, Chen noted it would require the integration of inter-ministerial anti-drug efforts and asked the ministry to speed up its deliberations with the MOE and DOH to swiftly complete the program's draft.
The premier also took the occasion to commend the meritorious officers who this August made the country's biggest heroin bust in a decade by intercepting the Hong Ji Yu No. 7, a fishing boat trying to smuggle 80 kilograms of the drug into Taiwan.
The premier said that this case deserves attention not only for the enormous quantity confiscated—worth about NT$2 billion (US$69 million) on the black market and enough for 7 million doses, Minister of Justice Tseng Yung-fu said—but also for the close and careful cooperation of the agencies on the case, from the Taipei District Prosecutors Office to the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office. The Coast Guard constantly patrolled for the ship and finally captured it amidst poor weather conditions.
The police made another significant seizure in November, confiscating some 500 kg of amphetamines, a Schedule II drug, with a total street value of over NT$600 million (US$20.6 million), the premier added.
"Large-scale operations like this play an important role in protecting the health of our citizens," Chen said. "Government agencies understand the importance of illicit drug control and have made outstanding achievements in this respect which merit our appreciation. From the president to the people, we all hope effective inter-agency control efforts will minimize the damages of illegal drug abuse, consolidating the foundation of Taiwan's future development."
According to the MOJ, the spread of Schedule III controlled substances remains a problem in Taiwan, and most of these drugs are emanating from mainland China. Premier Chen instructed the MOJ to coordinate the National Police Agency (NPA), the Directorate General of Customs and the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) to formulate a concrete plan to target smuggling under the framework of the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement.
Premier Chen also expressed concern about media reports of ketamine abuse in schools. In order to provide targeted counseling services to young abusers at an early stage, the premier instructed the MOE to conduct urine tests on students with drug addiction records or about which there is sufficient factual evidence of drug abuse. At the same time, the ministry should assist with school policing and reporting to help eradicate the drug trade there, he said.
Tertiary institutions are another focus of the anti-drug campaign. In addition to making necessary anti-drug announcements, the MOE and MOJ should formulate concrete inspection and reporting mechanisms, the premier said; he asked them to report such plans at future meetings.
"More important than the penalties meted for drug abuse is the lifetime damage it causes to users' physical health," the premier remarked. He asked the DOH to work with the MOE to produce videos educating students about the harmfulness of drug abuse.
"Cross-ministry efforts have produced positive results in curbing narcotics. I hope such work will continue unabated," the premier indicated. For example, according to the MOI, a joint operation of the NPA, Ministry of Economic Affairs and DOH to better control the upstream sources of raw materials for narcotics production has led to a significant decrease in amphetamines.
Nevertheless, the number of people abusing Schedule III drugs is still on the increase, statistics say. The NPA has mobilized the country's police force in response, which has already produced positive results. The premier asked the agency to supervise each police department's efforts and report its implementation results to the Executive Yuan on a monthly basis.
Drug rehabilitation, Premier Chen said, cannot rely merely on medication; users also require help from family and social or religious organizations. Many nongovernmental organizations (NGO) provide rehabilitation services, and the government has the responsibility to integrate private-sector resources to provide addicts the best care possible.
The premier directed the DOH to implement this policy and coordinate with related ministries to further integrate the resources of central and local drug-prevention centers with those of NGOs in order to expand treatment services, while reporting its progress to the Executive Yuan.
Premier Chen reiterated that drug prevention is an exceedingly important task which directly impacts the public's quality of life, as evidenced by his administration's emphasis on it on various occasions. "The government has employed various means, educational or otherwise, to combat drug use. Comprehensive laws and regulations are in fact already in place, but the determination to implement them is paramount," he said. He cited the example of Minister Wang Ginn-wang of the CGA, whose reported figures on drug crackdowns and prevention for the second half of this year have grown significantly compared with the first half of the year. The premier instructed the MOJ and other ministries that aside from publishing the results of their efforts, they must also communicate their determination to clamp down on drug use.
The purpose of anti-drug publicity is to raise alertness and consciousness, especially among the young, he said. He instructed the MOJ to lead the planning and coordination on this front. While the MOE, MND, MOJ and MOI have great responsibility in this respect, public service announcements can be made anywhere by any agency, he insisted.
"Everyone can encourage others to pay attention to those around them and provide help if necessary," Chen said. "This is very important and conducive to the development of a healthy society."