Shanghai will kick off an anti-drug campaign later this year, focusing on new types of narcotics such as ecstasy, methamphetamines and ketamine as well as entertainment venues that allow users to do drugs, officials from the Shanghai Political and Legislative Commission said yesterday.

The government will also enhance the administration and care of drug addicts at the neighborhood level to help them break their addictions.

Between April and August, local police cracked 732 drug cases, arresting 712 suspects and seizing 125.69 kilograms of drugs.

"In addition to traditional drugs like heroine and marijuana, new drugs like ecstasy, methamphetamines and ketamin are becoming popular in the city," said Zhou Weihang, director of the Shanghai Anti-Drug Office. "We will focus on young people, migrant workers and the unemployed as key groups and entertainment venues like discos, bars and karaoke bars to prevent and control drug crimes."

Zhou said that about one-third of local drug crimes were detected in entertainment venues, some of which allow customers to use drugs to attract more business.

He said local police, the anti-drug office and the city's industrial and commercial administration bureau will issue a joint notice warning entertainment venue owners and customers about the risks of drugs.

Educational advertisements about the harm caused by drugs will begin running on local TV stations later this month, officials said.

(Shanghai Daily October 13, 2005)