The government held a teleconference on the launching of a "people's war" against narcotics Thursday, at which State-Councilor Zhou Yongkang urged all localities and departments concerned to implement "important instructions" on the issue made by President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao.

China's top leaders have called for organizing a wide-ranged and far-reaching "people's war" against drugs and "achieving a new victory" in fighting narcotics, according to the state councilor, who is member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the national anti-drug committee.

"All localities and departments should fight to prevent drug abuse among the entire population, especially young people and those who are more likely to become addicted in drugs, so as to curb the number of new addicts," the official said.

Zhou called for nationwide efforts to cut the source of drug trafficking in the southwestern, northwestern, northeastern and southeastern parts of the country and to crack down on all drug-related crime.

(Xinhua News Agency April 15, 2005)