More than 250,000 people in Taiwan have likely used illegal drugs, while an increasing number of people have tried unknown mixtures of drugs, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday.
The findings came from a FDA-commissioned survey conducted last year by National Taiwan University’s (NTU) College of Public Health, which collected data regarding illegal drug use from 18,262 people aged 12 to 64.
The survey found that 1.29 percent of respondents had used identifiable illegal drugs at least once, which could be extrapolated to about 204,000 people among the entire population of the same age.
Photo copied by Wu Liang-yi, Taipei Times
Once unknown blends of drugs — also known as “trail mix” — was factored in, the prevalence increased to 1.46 percent, or about 258,000 people, the FDA said.
It was the first time that the agency included “trail mix” drugs in the survey. These mixes are often repackaged to look like coffee sachets, cigarettes, plum powder, candy, chocolate or other snacks.
The five most common types of drugs taken by respondents were amphetamines (0.42 percent), ketamine (0.4 percent), ecstasy (0.36 percent), marijuana (0.32 percent) and “trail mixes” (0.18 percent), NTU professor Chen Wei-jen (陳為堅) said.
“Some young people did not know they were getting illegal drugs and mistook them for snacks or coffee. They could easily have accepted them if they were given by a friend,” FDA Division of Controlled Drugs Director Chu Yu-roo (朱玉如) said.
“Some people tried ‘trail mix’ drugs because they were curious,” Chen said. “However, the source, formula and dosage are often unknown, so they could sometimes damage the body or cause an overdose.”
Studies by forensic scientists have shown that such types of drug mixtures can easily cause acute kidney damage or irregular heartbeat, and they often contain synthetic cathinones, marijuana or ketamine, he said.
Among those who had tried illegal drugs, 70 percent did so “out of curiosity,” while 29.9 percent said that they first tried it at a classmate or friend’s house, Division of Controlled Drugs section chief Hsu Jui (徐睿) said.
While two-and-a-half times more males used single identifiable drugs than females, there was no significant gender difference in “trail mix” drug use, while more females aged 18 to 44 reported having taken drugs than males of the same age, she said.
As drug mixtures are being repackaged to resemble other products, people should be cautious about consuming food from unknown sources, reject drinks or food given by strangers, and try to leave when provided with suspected illegal drugs, Chu said.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
RSS