By Li Heng, Zhou Shenglong and Zhang Dinghao

The drug problem has brought severe challenges to the development of human society. Drug control is related to national security, social stability and people's well-being. Strict prohibition of drugs is the consistent stand and clear-cut opinion of The Communist Party of China and the Central People's Government. From the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee, with President Xi Jinping as its core, has attached great importance to drug control and scientifically explained a series of major theoretical and practical problems of drug control in China from the overall and strategic perspective. It has provided a fundamental direction and clear methods for carrying out drug control across the country and winning the people's war on drugs. It also has pointed out the work direction for doing a good job in drug control in the new era. The successful convening of The Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China means thorough studying, publicizing and implementing the spirit of the Plenary Session will become a major political mission both at present and in the future. It will help us to learn from history, create the future, and turn the spirit of the Plenary Session into a powerful driving force for drug control in the new era. It will also encourage us to strive to create a new situation in drug control of the new era, improve the drug governance system, further deepen international law enforcement cooperation in drug. It has pledges to strive to fight the people's war on drug control in the new era, and promote drug control work to gain new achievements.

At present, the drug situation is still grim. With the number of addicts in the world having increased significantly, the types of drug consumption have also changed. The market for traditional drugs of opiates, cocaine, and cannabis has shrunk, but there has been a continual climb in the consumption of synthetic drugs represented by amphetamine stimulants. At the same time, global amphetamine drug trafficking activity has expanded dramatically, with the captured weights rising to hundreds of tons, and some countries and regions of Southeast Asia have become centers of methamphetamine manufacture. Globally, the drug problem continues to worsen, presenting some features such as younger age of addicts, more covert drug trafficking practices, and more technology of crime. The means of drug manufacturing and trafficking by criminals are constantly updated, new drugs represented by fentanyl are emerging, and high-tech drug manufacturing and trafficking crimes are increasing. Moreover, China is infiltrated by surrounding drug-producing locations and the international drug crime group, making the management of drug crime and abuse more laborious. It’s hard to reduce the difficulty of managing global drug problems.

Report on China's drug situation of 2020 issued by the China National Narcotics Control Commission objectively analyzes the current drug control, its situation and related conditions in China. The report points out that the problem of drug abuse in China is continuing to improve, and the number of addicts is showing a downward trend. But the types of drug abuse are increasing and the places are more hidden. The report emphasizes that China's drugs come from overseas imports and domestic manufacturing. Drug trafficking is still active, which presents a complex situation that combines domestic and overseas, online and offline, traditional and novel. As the COVID-19 epidemic ravages the world, China's drug control departments overcome the double pressure brought by the epidemic and the drug and accurately grasp the new changes in drug activities caused by the epidemic. Progress has been achieved and stability ensured in the situation of China's drug struggle. The growth rate of drug abuse has slowed down, large-scale drug production and transportation activities have also shrunk significantly, and the illegal loss of drug products has been effectively dealt with. Upholding the Party's leadership is the fundamental political guarantee for doing a good job in drug control in the new period. Drug control needs to take the whole country into account, strengthen systematic, comprehensive, legal, and source governance， make preparing for Worst-Case Scenarios and problem-orientated measures. Drug control measures are continuously reformed and innovated, with participation by different parties. And we will launch the special actions of drug prohibition to strictly prevent the breeding and spread of the drug.

Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we shall fully implement Xi Jinping's series of important instructions on drug control, combine epidemic prevention and drug control, follow both mass line and specialized work. We shall regard combat, prevention, management and criminal control as a whole and adhere to the overall method of comprehensive governance both surface phenomenon and root causes and synchronous follow-up. The overall situation of drug control in China is stable and controllable.

Measure 1: Establish a complete education system of drug prevention.

First, the fundamental measure of drug control is prevention. We strengthen the education and publicity of banning drugs, especially to young people and continue to promote the application of the national drug prevention and education digital platform for youth. At present, China has a large youth population and it has high potential risks for drug abuse. Taking teenagers as a key target and carrying out drug control publicity and education is the key to curbing the continuous growth trend of drug abuse. Youth drug prevention education shall be given priority in a strategic position in related work.

Second, to create a good atmosphere without drugs in the school and implement the project of drug prevention education for young people, we establish drug prevention education places and strengthen the training of teachers majoring in anti-drug publicity.

Third, we need to innovate the forms of anti-drug publicity and education and try to create a social atmosphere for no-drug. We also innovate the Internet Plus anti-drug propaganda and education actively, create new media positions, and create a good atmosphere for resisting drugs in society.

Measure 2: Structuring the management and service system for drug addicts.

At present, China has a large number of registered drug addicts. Drug addicts are more mobile and difficult to administer effectively. Hidden addicts are not easy to identify and they have a high risk of causing accidents or crime. Drug abuse and trafficking cases occur from time to time among disabled people and other special groups. It urgently needs to build an institution for drug addicts’ management and service rather than only rely on the traditional manager such as anti-drug social workers and community police.

First, we establish an organized and comprehensive system for serving and managing drug addicts by upholding the Party's committee leadership, implemented by the government, participated by the whole society and based on the rule of law as it’s a guarantee. And we can improve the legalization, socialization, specialization, and intelligence of drug addicts' management services.

Second, we accelerate the infrastructure of drug treatment places and promote the standardized implementation of the anti-drug publicity positions and community drug treatment and rehabilitation sites. Using public health resources to strengthen medical construction and health care force staffing within drug rehabilitation institutes to enhance the practical effects of drug rehabilitation medical treatment and rehabilitation.

Third, strengthening humanistic care for drug addicts and launching related policies and measures such as giving treatment, psychological intervention, assistance, and employment support, what can consolidate the results of drug rehabilitation, reduce the relapse behavior of drug addicts, and help them return to their families and society normally.

Measure 3：Building a whole-process anti-drug crime system.

The “Golden Triangle” region is an important source of drugs flowing into China. A large number of drug production and trafficking groups are entrenched here, which brings many challenges to the fight against drug crimes in the border areas.

First, implement the special action of “clearing the source and cutting off the flow”. We change passive interception to active attack, and clear the source and course instead of intercepting it merely. We will dig deeper into the sources of drug breeding, trace drug circulation channels, expand the investigation direction of drug intelligence clues, a crackdown on drug manufacturing, trafficking and transportation, and deepen the fight against drug violations and crimes.

Second, scientifically structure the drug-related information research and judgment mechanism. We improve the intelligence sharing and cooperation mechanism across regions and departments and build the intelligence information database of high-risk drug-related personnel by relying on a variety of big data policing platforms.

By strengthening drug-related intelligence and information early warning, we can not only achieve the “intelligence-led investigation”, but also improve the investigation and management for drug addicts and traffickers. It will improve the effectiveness of precision strikes and control.

Third, strengthen the ability of criminal investigation. With Establishing an investigation system to crack down on drug manufacturing and trafficking criminal cases, we improve the comprehensive combat capability and establish the anti-drug investigation concept of fighting gang crime, solving major cases, and destroying crime networks. We will continue to promote anti-drug actions, such as “Cooperative Governance to Scattered crime”, and severely punish grave drug criminals, and improve the effectiveness of the crackdown.

Measure 4: Building a full factor supervision system for drug products.

Once the materials of easy made-up drugs flow into illegal channels, they are easy to be obtained by criminals through various means to manufacture drugs.

First, we will scientifically control materials of easy-made-up drugs, improve the legal system for the control of them, and accelerate the legislation on the management. And we also strengthen the formulation of local regulations and rules on the management to strictly supervise precursor substances according to related law.

Second, the production, operation and circulation of easy-made-up drug materials are comprehensively and dynamically monitored to strictly prevent the illegal loss of them.

Third, we strengthen the on-site inspection of easy made-up drugs materials enterprises, implement some measures such as online control, two-way verification and timely reporting system, and building a department linked and supervision institution. By continuously promoting the management of easy-made-up drugs materials, China's national drug control department has effectively controlled the loss of domestic drugs chemicals since 2020.And it significantly reduced the flow of regulated chemicals into illegal channels or abroad, and more and more easily made-up drugs chemicals have been included in the list of controlled chemicals.

Measure 5: Building a comprehensive monitoring system of drug situations is the core of drug control work.

First, drug monitoring is the core of drug control. We continuously promote innovation in drug control and lead monitoring by technology. Relying on emerging technologies such as big data, Internet of Things, blockchain and artificial intelligence, we can build a big data artificial intelligence analysis, research and judgment system for combating drug-related crimes, with strengthening the comprehensive analysis ability of drug information data about drug manufacturing, trafficking and drug abuse and its original plant cultivation.

Second, by using the intelligence-led investigation mode, we can timely identify the information or clues of drug crimes, grasp the trend of the drug situation in time, and improve the predictability, proactivity and effectiveness of drug control.

Third, we will further promote the combination of anti-drug big data and drug experimental technology, innovate drug monitoring methods, broaden drug monitoring channels, and strengthen drug monitoring, so as to provide significant scientific and technological support for fighting against drug crimes.

Measure 6: Building a global international cooperation system in drug control.

With the rapid development of the Internet and its derivative industries, the operation of the global drug supply chain has been significantly impacted, and the forms of drug circulation and transactions among countries and regions have changed accordingly.

On the one hand, we promote the construction of a complete international cooperation institution for drug control, and we actively fulfill our obligations under the international drug prohibition conventions, participate in the formulation and implementation of international drug control policies, strive to enhance our international status in the international drug prohibition cooperation system and strengthen our voice.

On the other hand, China actively supports and participates in international cooperation in drug control. We strengthen transnational cooperation in law enforcement, constantly strengthen real-time information exchange, joint investigation and diversified law enforcement to improve the ability to combat transnational drug-related criminal activities. With increasing strategic investment in drug control in major drug sources and drug trafficking channels around, China has actively promoted subzone drug control cooperation activities, fulfilled its international obligations, helped neighboring countries carry out drug control work, carried out various forms of drug control information exchange, training and law enforcement cooperation with the international community, and effectively cracked down on transnational drug crimes. Deepening international cooperation in drug control, promoting global drug co-governance and building an international drug control cooperation pattern of consultation, co-construction and sharing are effective ways to solve the global drug problem.

We also need to see how other countries have been waging anti drug war and if they are successful, For instance, in the United States, since the 1970s, the American drug war has been vigorously carried out for half a century, but the results are very different from the wishes of the U.S. government. With drugs pouring into the United States, “American Prohibit Drug” has become “American Sink to Drug”. The United States is one of the countries with the most serious drug abuse.

Less than 5% of the world's population consumes more than half of the painkillers. The situation of drug overdose has been exacerbated since 2020 because of the COVID-19 epidemic, with social unemployment and economic decline leaving many more people drowning in the drug illusion for comfort. 

The huge financial investment for controlling drugs has not had obvious effect, but increasing the burden on people's livelihood. The investment for drug control funds of the federal government has increased year by year, with a large amount of investment having little effect. It also has wasted taxpayers' taxation, but the burden on people's livelihood has become heavier and heavier.

Selective drug law enforcement exacerbates ethnic conflicts. In the process of drug law enforcement, the U.S. police is blamed for “prefer” blacks and colored races, while whites are relatively relaxed. The deep-rooted racial discrimination in the United States makes society take it for granted that African Americans are more likely to smoke cocaine and Mexican Americans are more likely to smoke marijuana. Therefore, selective drug law enforcement is common, and whites are less likely to be arrested and prosecuted. At the same time, there are great differences in conviction and sentencing among different people, which exacerbates racial conflict and undermines democracy and human rights in the United States. Simple and crude anti-drug measures have made it difficult to return to the social and economic structure. The U.S. government focuses on the fight against the demand side of drugs and ignores the governance of the supply side. It blindly uses violence to management but ignores the adjustment of its own social and economic structure. As a result, drugs and abuse become more and more, smuggling becomes more and more rampant, control becomes more and more difficult, with the development of drug prohibition. This vicious circle makes it difficult for American drug control to achieve fundamental results. Treating the symptoms rather than the root causes will only lead to more chaos, and the effect is counterproductive. The anti-drug measures and severe crackdown are difficult to succeed, but the proliferation and abuse of drugs are becoming more and more serious. The United States has become the world's largest drug consumer.

The absolute prohibition of drug is a duty for everyone. It Pains for the moment, gains for the millennia. China adheres to and implements a holistic view of national security. severely crackdown on drug violations and crimes according to law, and continuously strengthen the rectification of key areas, places and parts. We will resolutely destroy the networks and links of drug trafficking gangs or organizations, crackdown on drug-related, underworld-related, terrorist and gang crimes and their umbrellas, and resolutely eradicate the soil where the drug problem grows. With continuing to focus on root cause treatment, adopting comprehensive measures and preventing in advance, we will pay more attention to special groups such as teenagers, sick and disabled people, carry out anti-drug prevention, publicity and education. we will form a good atmosphere of consciously resisting drugs in the whole society and strive to build a drug control system with Chinese characteristics by legitimate governance, social co-management, universal participation and decision. We shall build a control path with Chinese characteristics, create an anti-drugs overall pattern for the whole people that will set out on a new journey toward building a modern socialist country in an all-round way, for achieving the second Centenary Goal and community with a shared future for mankind.

(Li Heng, Zhou Shenglong and Zhang Dinghao are scholars at Southwest University of Political Science and Law, National Drug Control Research Center)