(image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Oct. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — Abuse of opioid medications like painkillers, anorectics and anesthetics is spreading among South Korean teens and 20-somethings.
Rep. Kang gi-yun of the People Power Party referred to a report from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety showing that there were 61,087 prescriptions for fentanyl patches issued to those in their 20s in 2021, up by 38.5 percent from 2019.
In contrast, the overall number of prescriptions dropped during the same period.
The number of prescriptions for fentanyl patches among those in their 20s and the number of prescribed patients remained more or less constant throughout the period, which indicates that the higher number of prescriptions may be the result of drug abuse.
Fentanyl patches are 100 times stronger than heroin and more than 200 times stronger than morphine, which is easily prescribed even to teenagers.
Rep. Seo Young-seok of the Democratic Party referred to another government report indicating that 1,479 people under the age of 18 were prescribed fentanyl patches from 2019 to 2021, for a total of 9,781 prescriptions.
As the younger generation gains easy access to opioid medicine, crimes related to the use of illegal drugs are also on the rise.
The Supreme Prosecutors Office’s 2021 White Paper showed that the number of individuals charged with the use of illegal drugs amounted to 18,050 people in 2020, up by 27 percent from 2016.
Juvenile offenders in their teens, in particular, jumped in number from 119 in 2017 to 450 in 2021. Those in their 20s also rose in number from 2,112 to 5,077 people.
The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service reported that 167 people in their teens and 20s were treated for drug addiction last year, up by 92 percent from 2017.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
