Young people in particular want to experience what they see on MTV and what they learn of the rest of the world, particularly the West.
"Customs are different, but they receive a lot of information and they want things to change and have fun. It's a clash of cultures," Wong says. MDMA may be part of a cultural phenomenon that Taiwan does not want to import, but it's going to be difficult to keep it at bay, techno or not.
But for the authorities, the policy is one of zero tolerance. Taiwan intends, it seems, to prove that it is clean and free of the problems related to recreational drug use that other countries have experienced.
Whether the youth in Taiwan -- particularly in relatively cosmopolitan Taipei -- go along with this is another matter. All that is happening as a result of the crackdown is that the venue for taking MDMA has shifted from clubs, bar and studios to private members clubs, KTV's or at home.
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