The 5th Narcotics Control Council Meeting of 2023 Held
On the 2nd, the government held the '5th Narcotics Control Council' at the Seoul Government Complex, chaired by Visit Kyoo, Minister for Government Policy Coordination. At this meeting, they reviewed the progress of the 'Comprehensive Narcotics Management Plan Implementation and Future Plans' and conducted an in-depth discussion on measures to respond to fentanyl.
Fentanyl, which has recently emerged as a social issue in the United States, is a type of powerful narcotic analgesic. Among the 107,000 drug overdose deaths in the US in 2021, 71,450 (66%) are estimated to have been caused by synthetic opioids (mainly fentanyl). It is the leading cause of death among adults aged 18 to 49.
The council also discussed expanding organizations, personnel, and budgets necessary for narcotics investigation, treatment, and rehabilitation to strengthen the government's overall narcotics response capabilities. The plan is to block the spread of narcotics domestically and strictly respond to narcotics crimes, while steadily promoting treatment, rehabilitation, education, and publicity for narcotics addicts.
Minister Bang stated, "Our country is currently at a critical crossroads, whether to fall into a narcotics-contaminated nation or to return to a narcotics-free country," and added, "The government will implement strong narcotics control measures to ensure that our country returns to being a narcotics-free nation."
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