City authorities highlight dangers of drugs
A stage show at the anti-drugs event.
Dr Zhang Wenhong, leader of Shanghai's COVID-19 team and director of Huashan Hospital's infectious diseases department, was invited to be an anti-drug ambassador on Thursday at an event in Jing'an District.
"As a doctor, I want to tell you that a healthy life must be away from drugs," he said in a video message.
Xi Meijuan, chairwoman of the Shanghai Federation of Literary and Art, and two singers from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, were also invited to be anti-drug ambassadors.
The city's justice authorities and Shanghai Media Group held the activity to highlight the importance of education in the war against drugs ahead of Saturday's International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
Three stage shows, music videos and song and dance performance highlighted the dangers of drugs. They also presented the advanced techniques, such as virtual reality, currently used in drug rehabilitation.
The event is one of a series of anti-drug activities launched by the city's justice and administration departments in June. So far more than 50 anti-drug activities have been held for local residents.
Prosecutors focus on new drugs
New types of drugs and the involvement of highly educated young people in drug trafficking have become the focus of city prosecutors' anti-drugs work.
The percentage of drugs cases in Xuhui District involving marijuana has seen a sharp increase in past two years, with 8.2 percent in 2019, 32.6 percent in 2020 and 38.9 percent in the first five months of this year. The district's procuratorate has laid charges in 31 related cases in the past 17 months. The average age of the suspects is just under 29, Xuhui officials said at a press conference.
Procuratorates in the city have increased crackdowns and punishments in drug-related crimes and are stressing to young people the importance of staying away from drugs.
