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 on Tuesday.
Wang said only a dozen schools in the capital were now covered by the campaign.
An earlier report by , 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.
According to the narcotics control bureau at the Ministry of Public Security, 75 per cent of mainland drug addicts were under 35 years old in April last year, higher than the 58 per cent in April 2009.
In Beijing, 88 per cent of the city's 26,000 drug addicts were under 35 last May.
Last month, eight foreigners, including at least four teenagers, were detained by Beijing police after a tip-off.
Approached by the yesterday, the international school said it had spent a lot of time on drug education with students and staff.
The incident has raised concerns at other international schools and among parents.
Days after the detention, parents of another leading international school in Beijing were informed of the incident and reminded of the importance of anti-drug measures, according to a letter obtained by the .
"We need to reinforce with our school community: don't become involved with drugs," the letter to parents said.
One parent said: "It costs me more than 200,000 yuan (HK$253,000) a year in tuition fees for my child to be educated in an international school."
"If the side effect of being educated in a Western culture is drug abuse, I will definitely choose another school," said the parent, who asked not to be named.
