An increase in incidences of AIDS among drug addicts has prompted law enforcement authorities to step up a clampdown on drug trafficking, Taipei prosecutors said yesterday.
The number of addicts infected with AIDS showed a sharp increase in 2003, according to statistics compiled by the Ministry of Justice.
In 2004, there were 544 reported cases around the country, a seven-fold increase over the 2003 level and more than the combination of the aggregate number recorded during the 1998-2003 period.
A prosecutor in charge of fighting drug abuse said that most addicts acquire AIDS by sharing needles with infected drug users.
With society becoming increasingly open, bars, nightclubs and house parties have become places where young men and women can abuse illegal drugs, the prosecutor said.
Although authorities have done their best to eradicate the abuse of illicit drugs to prevent the spread of AIDS, the prosecutor said that police crackdowns alone were not enough.
"Law enforcement alone will not remove the root cause of the drug abuse problem in our society," he said, adding that the problem had been exacerbated by an increase in consumption and a corresponding increase in drug prices.
"An increasing number of drug addicts are turning to crime to feed their drug habits," he said.
First-time drug offenders are put under observation for between 40 days and two months. Those found to need a rehabilitation program will undergo therapy lasting from six months to a year.
Those convicted of using the first category of drugs are subject to a jail term of between six months and five years. The first category includes cocaine, heroin, opium and morphine.
Those convicted of using the second category of drugs -- opium poppy, coca, marijuana and amphetamines -- face prison terms of up to three years.
To effectively contain the spread of AIDS through drug abuse, the prosecutor called for cooperation with health authorities to raise public awareness, the provision of free needles for drug addicts in controlled locations and further police crackdowns.
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