War on Drugs.docVIP

War on Drugs 　　With drug abuse increasing in China， June 26， International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking， saw a wide array of activities across the country to mark the occasion， which signaled an escalated fight against the menace. 　　“By the end of 2014， more than 2.9 million drug addicts had been registered； their actual number exceeded 14 million，” said Liu Yuejin， Deputy Commissioner of the National Narcotics Control Commission （NNCC） and Assistant Minister of Public Security， at a press conference on June 24. It means approximately one out of 100 Chinese may be taking drugs， Liu pointed out. 　　On June 25， President Xi Jinping pledged an unswerving war against drugs， saying there would be “no rest until a sweeping victory.” 　　At a meeting with groups and individuals recognized for their outstanding contributions to the anti-drugs battle， Xi said， “Drugs are a menace to society and a significant public security issue. They harm health， corrupt the will， destroy families， devastate wealth， and lead to other crimes.” 　　China should have zero tolerance to drugs， he said， calling on all Party and governmental authorities to redouble their efforts in fighting narcotics. 　　 A grave situation 　　China lies next to Southeast Asia’s Golden Triangle and Central Asia’s Golden Crescent―two of the largest drug-producing areas in the world. The proximity has made China a major transit and destination country for traditional drugs such as heroin and cocaine. 　　The Golden Triangle is China’s largest drug source， especially for heroin and methamphetamine （meth）. The Golden Crescent and some areas in South America are the other sources， Liu said. 　　China is also a major producer of chemi- cals used to make illegal drugs. Sichuan and Guangdong provinces are the main domestic sources of meth and ketamine， Liu added. 　　On June 24， the NNCC released the Annual Report on the Drug Situation in China in 2014， which revealed several trends. The number of regis