BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- When Tang Wei looks back on her addiction to the "laughing gas" or nitrous oxide, she still struggles to recount the painful experience.
"It was terrifying," the young woman said. "It crept into my life like a ghost and quietly took control. Now I keep reminding myself that I have to stay free from it forever."
Tang eventually underwent rehabilitation at a drug treatment center in China's eastern Zhejiang Province, where she overcame her drug dependency.
Nitrous oxide is widely used in industry, food production, and medicine. But in recent years, its abuse leading to addiction among young people has become an emerging concern.
Tang first tried nitrous oxide in 2023 without fully realizing the risks.
Unlike heroin or methamphetamine, substances that are widely recognized as illegal drugs, nitrous oxide and other emerging addictive substances have often been marketed as "harmless," allowing them to spread quietly among some young users.
China's anti-drug campaign has sharply reduced the use of conventional narcotics. Police data show the number of drug users caught nationwide fell 30.3 percent in 2025 from a year earlier, with continued declines in the abuse of traditional drugs and controlled psychotropic medicines.
Meanwhile, the misuse of non-scheduled addictive substances has been rising, particularly among the younger generation.
According to Wang Yongguang, executive deputy director of the institute of drug rehabilitation research in Zhejiang, the gas can disable vitamin B12 in the body, damaging the protective coating around nerves and disrupting the nervous system. In severe cases, he said, the damage can become permanent.
Despite its high cost, some users continue consuming it for years, and some newer addictive substances are even more expensive.
Anti-drug officers on the frontline say many teenagers underestimate the risks. Some assume that substances not officially classified as narcotics are safe. Others believe online claims that they are non-addictive.
"Some young people even wear risky behavior almost as a badge of identity," an anti-drug police officer said. "Social media has amplified those misconceptions."
While gaining ground against traditional narcotics, authorities are increasingly focused on new addictive substances that often fall outside existing drug-control frameworks.
Zhejiang amended its anti-drug regulations last November to introduce temporary controls on substances including nitrous oxide and tiletamine, with the rules taking effect in May this year.
At the national level, China's office of the National Narcotics Control Commission added 16 substances, including tiletamine and difluoroetomidate, to the country's list of controlled non-medical narcotic and psychotropic substances on June 17.
Shan Yehua, deputy director of the commission's office, said the newly-listed substances were among those most frequently detected in abuse cases in recent years.
China now regulates 412 non-medical narcotic and psychotropic substances, as well as three entire categories of synthetic drugs, fentanyl-related substances, synthetic cannabinoids and nitazenes.
Authorities stressed that any substance placed on the list is legally treated as a narcotic, making its unauthorized production, sale, transport, possession, use, storage or import and export illegal.
Beyond tougher regulation, officials have also expanded prevention efforts among young people.
The Ministry of Public Security, together with the Ministry of Education and other agencies, has launched a six-month online campaign highlighting the dangers of addictive substances.
In Beijing, rehabilitation centers have opened their doors to the public through exhibitions, interactive programs and educational lectures explaining the risks posed by emerging drugs and addictive substances. During the summer vacation, authorities will also organize anti-drug education camps for teenagers.
Chinese prosecutors have pledged to crack down on the illegal production and sale of unregulated addictive substances, with a particular focus on crimes involving the coercion, inducement or deception of minors into substance abuse.
For Tang, the days of addiction are over, and she is rebuilding her life.
For China, efforts are underway to adapt its drug-control system to the rapidly evolving landscape of addictive substances through stronger regulation, education, prevention and treatment, helping steer more young people away from addiction. Enditem
京公网安备 11010802027341号