China unveiled a proposal on Friday urging young people to refrain from abusing nontraditional narcotic and psychotropic drugs, as the issue has begun to stick out in the country in recent years.

The proposal, jointly released by seven departments, including the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission and the Ministry of Public Security, is part of a nationwide online awareness campaign that will last till December.

The abuse of a variety of nontraditional narcotic and psychotropic drugs is spreading rapidly in China, threatening the physical and mental health of the public, especially the youth, the proposal said.

Also, cases of young people's abuse of these drugs have occurred from time to time, Gao Wei, deputy head of the ministry's narcotics control bureau, said on Thursday.

This is because some youngsters do not have sufficient knowledge about the harm the drugs can do, and are deceived by harmful information online, he said at a news conference.

The proposal has listed some typical drugs that tend to be abused — etomidate, dextromethorphan and tramadol. Etomidate is an anesthetic agent. Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant, and tramadol can be used to relieve pain.

These are all narcotic and psychotropic drugs that China has placed under regulation. Overdosing on them can lead to addiction, anxiety and depression, and even cause violence and death, the proposal warned.

Using these drugs for nonmedical purposes amounts to illicit drug abuse, the proposal emphasized, urging young people to follow doctors' prescriptions and avoid overdosing.

It also called on them to reject suspicious invitations without any hesitation, and stay vigilant at entertainment venues and parties with strangers, and during online interaction.

Illicit drug traffickers tend to disguise the drugs as electronic cigarettes and snacks, and claim they are "harmless", "refreshing", "relaxing" or "helpful for losing weight", the proposal said, warning young people against falling for such lures.

Apart from sharing their knowledge with their children to help use medications safely, parents and other family members are also encouraged to let young people engage in sports and other activities to reduce mental pressure, listen to them to share their problems and provide them with professional help promptly, according to the proposal.

Additionally, it urged the public to report to authorities immediately if they come across clues related to illicit drugs.

China has stepped up efforts to tackle the abuse of nontraditional drugs in recent years. In 2024, it added 46 new psychoactive substances and four narcotic and psychotropic drugs to its controlled drug list, and advanced work to crack down on e-cigarettes containing etomidate.

Last year, narcotics control authorities across the country cracked more than 9,800 criminal cases involving etomidate, capturing 18,000 suspects and seizing 1.1 metric tons of the drug, Wei Xiaojun, head of the ministry's narcotics control bureau, said on Thursday.

wangqingyun@chinadaily.com.cn