China's Courts Combat Evolving Drug Crimes with Strict Punishments and Public Education

Drug-related criminal cases in China have generally decreased over the past decade. From January to May of this year, the country's courts concluded 9,343 first-instance cases, representing a 29.31 percent decrease compared to the same period last year. In 2024, a total of 35,859 first-instance drug-related criminal cases were concluded across the country.

Despite the overall decline, new types of drug crimes are rapidly increasing, surpassing traditional offenses. There is a noticeable trend towards younger users and offenders involved in these new forms of drug-related activities.

Courts consistently implement strict punishment policies, focusing on severely punishing source-level offenses such as smuggling, manufacturing, and large-scale drug trafficking. Crimes involving armed protection of drug activities and violent resistance to law enforcement also receive severe penalties.

Key figures within drug crime groups, including leaders, principal offenders, habitual offenders, and those who finance or employ drug activities, are harshly punished. Those found guilty of particularly severe crimes face heavy sentences, including the death penalty, as mandated by law.

From January to May 2025, a total of 14,456 defendants in drug cases were sentenced after judgments became legally effective. A significant 2,821 individuals received prison terms of five years or more, resulting in a heavy sentence rate of 19.51 percent. This rate is approximately 12 percentage points higher than the heavy sentence rate for all criminal cases during the same period.

In response to the evolving nature of drug crimes, courts are giving significant attention to new types of offenses. They strictly punish criminals in accordance with the law, particularly targeting crimes involving minors as either the main offenders or victims. Severe penalties are also enforced for crimes involving the use of sedative or narcotic drugs to commit offenses such as rape, molestation, and robbery.

Cases involving medical narcotic and psychotropic drugs are also a focus. Crimes that lead to these substances entering illegal channels are firmly punished to protect the public from abuse. Simultaneously, a clear distinction is maintained between criminal and non-criminal acts to safeguard legitimate medical needs and ensure accurate case classification and appropriate penalties.

Courts continue to conduct various publicity campaigns on the rule of law against drugs. These campaigns aim to expose the different disguises and dangers associated with the abuse of new types of drugs, enhancing the public's, especially youths', ability to recognize, prevent, and reject drugs.