Wed, Dec 21, 2016 page3

• Party death draws focus to ‘fuerdai’ drug habits

  LACED PROMISES: Dealers appeal to young people by telling them that their products ‘taste just like fruit,’ or ‘will give you energy,’ a high-ranking police officer said

  • By Wang Kuan-jen, Yao Yue-hung and William Hetherington / Staff reporters, with staff writer
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  A case involving the drug-related death of a 21-year-old woman at a days-long party at a luxury hotel in Taipei has drawn public attention to so-called fuerdai (富二代) culture.

  A police officer who had previously assisted in an investigation of a separate case of a similar nature described the scene as “an orgy” devoid of any morality, adding that she was still in shock as she recalled the body of a girl found naked in a hotel room with evidence of alcohol and narcotics in her system, including a street drug based on ketamine.

  A high-ranking police officer said that “home parties” thrown by fuerdai — a Mandarin expression that means “rich second generation” — have become popular in Taiwan due to influences from Europe and the US, with the events commonly moving to private rooms at karaoke establishments or hotels.

  The official, who declined to be named, said drug dealers and proprietors of some establishments have taken advantage of the trend, turning their facilities into hotbeds of sex and drug-related activities.

  Many children of wealthier families have used marijuana legally while studying abroad and want to keep smoking it when they return to Taiwan, they said, adding that five-star hotels are suitable venues for their activities, as police seldom go there.

  They said it is not uncommon for those who host parties to have contacts among drug dealers, as well as escorts who are willing to use drugs and engage in sexual activities.

  One individual who spoke about their experience attending “sex parties” said that people start by talking casually and getting to know each other, engaging in sex activities with others as drugs and alcohol take hold.

  The individual, who asked not to be named, said people at these parties “lose themselves” in the moment as their senses are blurred by stimulants, loud electronic music and ambient lighting.

  The high-ranking officer quoted an escort who goes by the alias Anchi (安琪) as saying that she was called to a party unaware that there would be drugs there.

  She was given food laced with drugs and raped repeatedly after becoming impaired, the officer quoted her as saying.

  In recent years amphetamines and heroin have been replaced with ketamine and ecstasy, the officer said, adding that dealers conceal them in various products such as coffee powder, jelly, postage stamps and gummy bears.

  Dealers appeal to young people by telling them their products “taste just like fruit,” or “will give you a lot of energy,” the officer said.

  Police said that drugs sold on the streets are often laced with other chemicals and have been known to cause permanent damage to the bladder, eventually forcing some users to wear diapers for the rest of their lives.

  They said women should avoid drugs at parties, as they might be sexually assaulted if they become impaired.
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