A Chinese view of World Drugs Day

The Law Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking came in to force in China on 1st June 2008. After this Ni Shou, the press spokesman of the Supreme People’s Court of China, introduced the legal punishment for drug-related crimes in China during an interview given by China Daily Newspaper:  courts across the country has heard 33,285 drug committing cases during the year of 2007 and has sentenced 38,154 drug offenders. Among them, 12,979 drug offenders are sentenced for more than 5-year-term imprisonment, life imprisonment and death penalty. It shows that the severe sentence rate of drug-related crimes in China in the year of 2007 is 34.02% while the rate in 2008 is 34.43%, which is quite high. The presenter clarifies that the severe sentence would be given especially to those people who are the leaders of drug crime cartel, or drug traffickers, or the offenders who recommit drug crimes. Moreover, people who covered drug crime by using armed force and those who refuse drug inspection leading by the police would more likely be given severe court sentences, such as death penalty. 

26th June, the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, is every year in China an official day for death execution for drug crimes. Especially in the provinces of huge drug issues, like in Yunnan and Guangdong. Together with executing drug offenders, a large amount of drugs would be destroyed into fire publicly by the police which is considered as a sign of how massive the success was in the war against drugs in the past year. And each year on this day, a China Central Television run TV gala would be shown in television during the “golden time of the day” when everybody goes to watch TV. During the show, police officers who made a great effort in investigating and stopping drug crime would be awarded in front the whole country. And, people who quit using drugs would be introduced to the public in the aim of setting a good example for a “more healthier and harmonious Chinese society”.

People’s response to the severe sentence for drug crime in China is pretty much the same. They think that the existence of death penalty is necessary for the Chinese society. China has the world’s biggest population, any small problems times 1.3 billion would be massive. So if those committing drug crimes are not strictly sentenced, such as through the death penalty, drug abuse would then more likely happen in the society. Which would cause a big issue for people’s health, life, safety and ultimately it would lead into a turmoil to the society as a whole. Every year, the TV gala about banning drugs is welcomed by Chinese people. During the almost 2 hours of the show, people get more knowledge about what actually drugs are and how badly it would affect people’s health if they become addicted. And, the audience of the show give their total compassion to the tough working condition of the police officers who are responsible for investigating drugs crimes. They give the name “drug crusaders” to reward the exceptional police officers for the brilliant success they have done in the war against drug abuse.