Seoul City Establishes Drug Defense System in Entertainment Venues... From Entry to Inspection

Drug Control Measures: Import Blockade, Self-Testing, and Medical Guidance
Encouraging Voluntary Efforts by Businesses to Eradicate Drugs... Promoting Awareness Improvement

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is establishing a triple defense system together with 25 autonomous districts to block the spread of narcotics through entertainment facilities. This measure takes into account the recent situation where narcotics are secretly administered in easily consumable forms, making on-site detection difficult.

On the 13th, Seoul announced that it will implement the triple defense system against narcotics in cooperation with business operators during June and July, before the revised Food Sanitation Act takes effect. Until now, when narcotics incidents occurred in entertainment facilities, only the individuals involved were punished under the 'Narcotics Control Act,' and the facilities could continue operating. However, with the amendments to the 'Narcotics Control Act' and the 'Food Sanitation Act,' establishments where narcotics incidents are detected will also face administrative sanctions such as business suspension.

Accordingly, Seoul is introducing a three-stage narcotics defense system. The first stage (entry blocking) involves posting notices at entrances, including a pledge of voluntary management by business operators and a ban on bringing in narcotics, to raise awareness among both establishments and customers. The second stage (self-inspection) distributes 'Narcotics (GHB) Self-Inspection Stickers' to operators of club-type establishments with a high risk of narcotics misuse, allowing them to easily check drinks and other items as a reference in suspicious situations. The third stage (medical guidance) provides information on anonymous testing and specialized medical treatment at public health centers within the establishments.

Furthermore, after the revised Food Sanitation Act is enforced, Seoul plans to conduct intensive joint crackdowns with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and publicly disclose the names, locations, violation details, and sanctions of violating establishments. Kim Tae-hee, Director of the Seoul Citizen Health Bureau, stated, "We will do our best to eradicate narcotics crimes in entertainment facilities through the newly established triple defense measures," and urged citizens, "We ask citizens to report any suspicious activities nearby to the nearest police station to help eliminate illegal narcotics."