In addition to use of traditional illegal drugs (cocaine, heroin, opium and marijuana), Chinese youth are starting to engage in the manufacture of the newest designer drugs, such as ecstacy, mix and Ketamine. One of the accused, Zhu Huaping, who faces trial, learned how to make Ketamine from a magazine at a public library and bought the raw materials in a market.
Chinese officials from the Ministry of Security are planning a crackdown on the manufacture and use of drugs in dance clubs and other popular hangouts, and are also asking libraries in the country to restrict access to books and magazines containing information on how to manufacture the drugs.
According to this article from China Daily , drug use is on the rise both in large cities and remote villages of China.
ketamine, a “new” drug?
Ketamine has been around since the 70’s and is just an animal tranquilizer. Any country that has loose regulations regarding the sale of animal medicines are easy places to get ketamine. You can’t “manufacture” it in any real way other than just cooking down the pharmaceutical grade stuff. Don’t take my word for it though, ask the DoJ. Might as well ban the Internet while they’re at it…. oh, I guess that’s a problem too.
Re:ketamine, a “new” drug?
Good point, but I guess it’s somewhat relative…ketamine is newer than opium.
Re:ketamine, a “new” drug?
Or in some countries, it’s used on humans too. Here in New Zealand, nurses in our emergency rooms carry it. You come in after a car crash, they’ll shoot you full of ketamine and morphine. In India and Mexico it’s possible to buy it over-the-counter in chemeists (illegal, but possible).
Jessamyn’s right that you can’t manufacture it other than by cooking the liquid into a powder.
And a minor point, but none of those drugs mentioned are ‘designer’ drugs. Designer drugs are drugs that have been manufactured deliberately to mimic the effects of drugs that are already illegal, without being themselves illegal (e.g. because the law specifies which drugs are illegal by name. The whole notion of designer drugs is irrelevant in the US since the Analogue Act was passed, which automatically makes any designer drug illegal).