Beijing boosts schools' anti-drugs message after foreigners detained
Heightened measures follow the detention of eight foreigners, but are not a direct result
Beijing is to massively expand its preventive education campaign against drug abuse in schools, including international schools, from July.
The move follows the detention last month of eight foreigners, some from an international school, suspected of drug abuse, but the increased measures are not a result of the incident.
A total of 100 primary and middle schools, including the city's international schools, would be targeted in the year from July, Wang Xuejie , the vice-president of the semi-official Beijing Narcotics Education Association, told the South China Morning Post on Tuesday.
Wang said only a dozen schools in the capital were now covered by the campaign.
An earlier report by Beijing Cankao, an official publication, said more than 5,000 students from 15 middle schools and technical secondary schools were covered.
The campaign sends lecturers and volunteers to schools to give anti-drug courses. Teenagers are the main target audience.
The development comes amid a rapidly expanding juvenile addict population on the mainland.