A Ministry of Justice (MOJ) official told lawmakers yesterday that ketamine would probably be upgraded to a class-two drug soon and users would have to undergo treatment at drug rehabilitation centers.
Prosecution Department Director Chu Kun-mao (朱坤茂) made the remarks at a meeting of the legislature’s Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Liao Cheng-ching (廖正井) said ketamine abuse has become a serious problem on campuses, with the number of ketamine users having jumped 10-fold from six years ago.
Liao asked why the ministry has been hesitant to upgrade ketamine from a class-three drug to a class-two drug.
KMT Legislator Hsieh Kuo-Liang (謝國樑) said the ministry’s position on ketamine made it “a supporter” of the drug.
Chu said the ministry would likely pass a bill in an inter-ministerial meeting it is hosting at the end of this month to list ketamine as a class-two drug.
By law, people who use first or second-class drugs have to undergo treatment, Chu said, and so the ministry has to get ready to house more drug users. It is also considering allowing students who use ketamine to receive treatment during their summer or winter break.
The law states that individuals arrested for using first-class drugs such as heroin and cocaine, or class-two drugs such as amphetamines and marijuana are required to undergo treatment at drug rehabilitation centers for a maximum of one month.
Those who fail a medical examination after a month of treatment are required to undergo a second period of treatment, which can last up to a maximum of one year.
Individuals who have undergone narcotic treatment but are rearrested for drug use will be charged with a criminal offense.
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
LIKE-MINDED COUNTRIES: Despite the threats from outside, Taiwan and Lithuania thrived and developed their economies, former president Tsai Ing-wen said Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Saturday thanked Lithuania for its support of Taiwan, saying that both countries are united as partners in defending democracy. Speaking at a reception organized by the Lithuania-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group welcoming her on her first visit to the Baltic state, Tsai said that while she was president from 2016 to last year, many Lithuanian “friends” visited Taiwan. “And I told myself I have to be here. I am very happy that I am here, a wonderful country and wonderful people,” Tsai said. Taiwan and Lithuania are in similar situations as both are neighbors to authoritarian countries, she
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is to visit the UK during her ongoing European trip, which originally included only Lithuania and Denmark, her office said today. Tsai departed Taiwan for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark, marking her second visit to the continent since her two-term presidency ended in May last year. Her office issued a statement today saying that Tsai would also visit the UK "for a few days," during which she is to meet with UK politicians and Taiwanese professionals, and visit academic and research institutions. Following Tsai's stop in Denmark, she is to visit the