Proportion of new drugs increases from 10% to 35%… E-cigarette marijuana use among teenagers soars

It has been revealed that the number of drug-related crimes in Korea has increased sharply, and the number of requests for the identification of new types of drugs brought to the National Institute of Criminal Investigation (NISA) has increased to 35% of the total.
It has been discovered that there are increasing cases of people in their 20s and 30s turning to drugs through the use of adult marijuana.
According to the "Drug Identification White Paper 2024" published by the National Research Institute of Criminal Investigation, Burning Sun in 2019
Due to the drug case and the intensive crackdown on drug-related crimes that has continued since 2022, the number of drug identification cases nearly tripled from approximately 43,000 in 2018 to approximately 120,000 in 2024.
The White Paper on Narcotics Identification includes an analysis of drug identification statistics for the past three years (2022-2024).
According to the white paper, the proportion of seized items among those submitted for appraisal during this period increased from 29% to 45%.
According to statistics on items seized at the request of the Seoul Crime Investigation Institute, the proportion of new narcotics is expected to soar from less than 10% in 2019 to 35% in 2024.
In particular, the distribution of synthetic marijuana and e-cigarettes has been on the rise, and the abuse of synthetic marijuana and e-cigarettes by teenagers and a tendency for people in their 20s and 30s to be taking multiple medications have also become evident.
The number of high-risk drugs, such as cocaine and parafluorofentanyl, has also increased. There is also a possibility of criminal involvement, such as driving after taking drugs and disturbances on airplanes.
In response, the National Police Agency has strengthened its analytical capabilities by establishing a new narcotics division, building a platform for searching for new types of drugs, redeploying personnel, and upgrading equipment.
Lee Bon-woo, president of the National Forensic Service, said, "The white paper reflects the forensic service's determination to realize a scientific policy support system that combines regulation, crackdown and treatment."
"We will contribute to enhancing the national response system to respond to changes and to increasing the expertise and reliability of scientific investigations," he explained. Meanwhile, the National Research Institute of Police Science has been publishing a white paper on narcotics identification since 2022.
The message board in the Forensic Science Institute's public relations publications is available for anyone to view.