Comment
Be proactive about drugs
By Joseph Christian (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-04 11:09
 |
Large Medium Small |
"Yo, what's up man," a voice said in broken English. I turned to see a hoodie-wearing figure emerge from the shadows.
"Can I help you out man," the nervous young man said as both of his hands grabbed at something in his pockets.
"No, I'm fine," I said as I stopped to stare at him.
"Ok, man, can I hook you up?" he continued in his funny sounding English.
"No, like I said I'm fine and I gotta go," I replied.
As I walked away it almost felt like I was back in Philadelphia. I was a little shocked that I had just been solicited to buy drugs on a university campus in Beijing.
Drugs can really mess up a city, believe me I know. When I lived in North Philadelphia I could walk down a certain street and get three or four offers to buy drugs in a few minutes.
Drug dealers aren't just a nuisance, they are the fastest way to break down a city's social order. The strung-out addicts, willing to do anything from violent crime to selling their bodies to score some drugs, bring immeasurable damage to the workings of a society.
Furthermore, the money that surrounds drugs attracts increasingly violent criminals, all trying to get a piece of the pie. The long and the short of it is that when drugs take hold, they quickly become a disease that is very hard to get rid of.
Comparatively, drugs are not as big of a problem in Beijing, but every year the situation seems to get worse. To me, it's really troubling because in Philadelphia I have seen first-hand the destruction drugs can bring.
The authorities said they solved more than 500 drug cases in 2009. Yet, given the enormity of China, that number sounds small; drugs are hitting the streets that should not be. Luckily, most Chinese people have the right frame of mind to stay away from really dangerous things like heroin.
But reports have shown that in many clubs, from Guangzhou to Beijing, young people are experimenting with methamphetamines and ketamines. Sadly, most don't realize that taking a little pill or snorting some powder can be so dangerous.
The police in China are making a good effort to stop drugs, but their efforts alone will not defeat the problem. China needs to be more proactive in making sure the drug problem does not become any worse. I remember, when I was 12 years old, my American school held various programs to teach us about the dangers of drugs.
As a young person, this knowledge gave me the power to resist not just drugs but also peer pressure to get involved in drugs. I was not going to get tricked into taking a "happy pill" because I knew what it was and what it could do to me.
However, most Chinese youths today are clueless when it comes to drugs and their danger. When such impressionable youths migrate to big cities, like Beijing, an innocent night out dancing with their friends or singing at a KTV bar could become something much more sinister. Some say that ignorance is bliss, but in the case of drugs, it can be deadly.
China needs its own comprehensive program to educate all of its children, in every school, about the dangers of drugs. China needs to give its young people the tools necessary to resist drugs.
Some might feel embarrassed talking about it but being embarrassed is a lot better than being addicted.
The writer is a university teacher in Beijing.
