The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has set up an official Web site dedicated to its campaign against drug abuse.
In a statement on the Web site, Minister of Justice Morley Shih (
Drug abuse often leads to other criminal conduct and activities, as addicts look for cash to sustain their habit, Shih said.
According to statistics provided by the ministry, the volume of drugs seized by the government in its crackdown has been increasing in recent years.
In 2001 law enforcement officials seized more than 2 million units of various forms of drugs. This figure rose to more than 8 million units in 2003 and further to 13 million units last year.
Meanwhile, the number of people indicted for trading, trafficking, possession and using drugs has also risen in recent years. From January to November last year, 27,152 people were indicted under the Violation of the Narcotics Endangerment Prevention Act (
Aside from offering information on issues such as signs and symptoms of drug abuse, the Web site offers stories of people who successfully overcame a drug habit.
The ministry is currently working on amending a law that would enable authorities to detain users of minor drugs and force them to undergo treatment.
The proposed amendment should help young people that have become hooked on minor drugs such as ketamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy) or flunitrazepam, which are frequently found in pubs or KTVs, according to the ministry. A stricter law could also act as a deterrent for potential drug users.
Under the current law, while selling or transporting third-class, or minor, drugs is a criminal offense, those caught using these drugs do not face criminal charges.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) and Chunghwa Telecom yesterday confirmed that an international undersea cable near Keelung Harbor had been cut by a Chinese ship, the Shunxin-39, a freighter registered in Cameroon. Chunghwa Telecom said the cable had its own backup equipment, and the incident would not affect telecommunications within Taiwan. The CGA said it dispatched a ship under its first fleet after receiving word of the incident and located the Shunxin-39 7 nautical miles (13km) north of Yehliu (野柳) at about 4:40pm on Friday. The CGA demanded that the Shunxin-39 return to seas closer to Keelung Harbor for investigation over the
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