Hwaseong City Launches War Against Youth Drug Addiction

Nationwide First Survey Conducted... Agreement with Education Offices and Police
Operation of Addiction Integrated Management Support Center and Other Local Governments Benchmarking

Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province has strengthened its response system for youth drug prevention. As the first local government nationwide to conduct a survey on drug use among youth, it is actively carrying out prevention and treatment activities in cooperation with the police and the Office of Education.

A view of Hwaseong City Addiction Management Integrated Support Center. The 'MajiNOseon Project' prepared by the center won the Excellence Award in this year's nationwide Addiction Management Integrated Support Center Outstanding Project Contest. Provided by Hwaseong City

According to Hwaseong City on the 18th, the city conducted the nation's first survey last year on drug use among youth. The survey involved 2,450 middle school students in the area, of whom 8.3% responded that they had experience with drug use. Additionally, most of the youth expressed concern about the risks of drug abuse and showed awareness. Based on this, Hwaseong City is further strengthening prevention education and campaigns targeting youth.

The city is particularly enhancing local-level responses by signing business agreements with the Hwaseong-Osan Office of Education and the police station. A representative example is the 'MajiNOseon Project' operated by the city's Integrated Addiction Management Center. This project won an excellence award in this year’s 'National Integrated Addiction Management Support Center Excellent Project Contest' hosted by the Korea Addiction Management Center Association. A city official introduced, "As a proactive effort to prevent drug addiction, the city’s Integrated Addiction Management Support Center is emerging as a benchmarking case for other local governments."

The city is also promoting a three-year plan to eradicate drugs. This plan includes ▲ strengthening drug prevention and response systems ▲ initiating research on 'risk and protective factors influencing drug use decisions' ▲ screening high-risk groups ▲ developing an intensified drug refusal program for high-risk groups, thereby further enhancing existing prevention education and campaign activities.

Jung Myung-geun, Mayor of Hwaseong City, stated, "We will further strengthen education and prevention programs to ensure that youth are safe from the dangers of drugs, and we will spare no effort to provide effective support in cooperation with the local community." He added, "We will do our best to make Hwaseong City a 'drug-free city' where all citizens can live with peace of mind."