(image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Aug. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and the Korean Association Against Drug Abuse signed an agreement Thursday to take joint efforts to bolster drug-related investigations as well as contribute to the prevention and treatment of drug abuse in response to the rising number of drug-related crimes.
Both parties said they will establish a multidimensional response system that encompasses ‘prevention, enforcement, and treatment’ of drug abuse so that prevention activities, as well as treatment/counseling for preventing a second offense, can happen simultaneously.
In terms of the prevention activities, advertisements to raise public awareness about the issue will be produced and distributed, and educational programs for teenagers will be organized.
With the introduction of ‘smart investigations’ that consider social changes, the police will link with the headquarters to expand treatment and counseling over drug abuse.
The number of drug-related crimes in Seoul increased from 2,386 in 2019 to 2,629 in 2020, before dropping slightly to 2,590 in 2021.
Among those charged with these crimes, teenagers and those in their 20s jumped in proportion from 837 people in 2019 to 1,034 people in 2020 and 1,174 people last year.
Last year, in particular, teenagers and those in their 20s accounted for 45.3 percent of all drug-related crimes, bringing down the average age of those charged with drug-related offenses.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
