Kuomintang legislator Luo Zhiqiang called on the Lanying Civil Representative to hold a press conference on the 5th, shouting "resolutely opposed to providing drugs to drug addicts in community centers" and announced that the anti-drug King Kong advertising vehicle will be on the road. (File photo)
Shen Boyang, the Taipei mayoral candidate of the Democratic Progressive Party, published an article on drug prevention and control from a criminological perspective 12 years ago. Recently, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wanan and Lan Ying have made it a political issue. Kuomintang legislator Luo Zhiqiang announced yesterday (5th) that he would dispatch a large LED advertising truck, calling for firm opposition to Shen's idea of "providing drugs to drug users in community centers." In response, Times Force Chairman Wang Wanyu angrily denounced, driving an "anti-drug Vajra vehicle" and stabbing a scarecrow, bringing back the understanding that took Taiwan 30 years to establish 30 years ago. It does not help Taiwan's vital drug prevention and control project at all.
Writer Wang Haojin (on the 6th) forwarded Wang Wanyu's post and said bluntly, "This article is well written and clearly explains the 30-year context of the issue. It is worth taking the time to read." Wang Wanyu posted on Facebook yesterday, "In Taiwan 30 years ago, a third drug offense could legally result in the death penalty or life imprisonment. However, it was later discovered that the penalties have been increasing, and drug addicts have not disappeared. People are in and out of prisons with drug addiction, and more and more people are in prison."
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In fact, since Taiwan passed the "Drug Harm Prevention Ordinance" in 1998, it has established a cross-party consensus that drug users are "sick criminals" and that "drug abuse is still illegal, but the first time someone is caught, they no longer just put them in jail, but first undergo observation and compulsory rehabilitation." "After more than 20 years, there have been several rotations between blue and green political parties, and this direction has continued to this day."
"But there is another important protagonist on this road, 'harm reduction,' which comes from the drug crisis that Taiwan encountered 20 years ago." In 2005, the AIDS epidemic spread rapidly due to the sharing of needles. The government decided to launch a harm reduction policy, providing clean needles, screening, and health education. The following year, it also began to expand methadone replacement therapy. The purpose is very simple, that is, to prevent people from contracting AIDS through shared needles, and to make these people who were originally hiding underground willing to enter the medical system.
Wang Wanyu said that statistics show that the mortality rate of injection drug addicts who continue to receive methadone treatment after prison is only about one-tenth of that of those who did not receive treatment. By the end of 2024, more than 7,000 people across the country are still receiving such treatment. Currently, Taiwan is facing severe challenges such as the introduction of etomidate (zombie cigarette cartridges) and other emerging drugs into schools, drug-related driving deaths, and a serious shortage of drug prevention manpower. These new drugs lack alternative drugs and rely more on community and counseling resources.
Wang Wanyu believes that we can discuss whether there are enough community resources for addiction treatment and whether there are any adjustments that need to be made to eliminate punishment but not crime. But it is really difficult for her to understand why these KMT legislators and candidates have to put up a straw man themselves, describing "harm reduction" as encouraging drug abuse and "treatment" as condoning drugs. Finally, it brings the entire society's understanding of addiction back to the era 30 years ago when "three offenders who used drugs could be sentenced to death."
Wang Wanyu said that if it was just for an election, the price would be too high. Because those who are hurt are also those workers who accompany addicts and families on the front line every day, and face relapse, addiction recovery, and relapse time after time. If you really care about drug prevention, please use less political rhetoric and spend more energy looking at the real problems happening now. Use your energy to supplement front-line manpower, prevent drugs from entering schools, find those children who have left school and fallen out of the safety net, and find ways to stop more drug-impaired driving.
For related news, please see:
Criticizing Luo Zhiqiang for repeating the rumor-mongering routine of "legislators going to China to take charge of Namibia" Shen Boyang: Legislators' standards are getting lower and lower
Lan accuses the community of distributing drugs! Shen Boyang denounces rumors and plans to sue Luo Zhiqiang in response to the 2014 You
Leaked footage》Shen Boyang was accused of spreading rumors about "distributing drugs in the community" Luo Zhiqiang just "drifted by"
Shen Boyang changed his tune after spreading rumors and said "I won't sue". Luo Zhiqiang ridiculed "guilty conscience": Thank you too
☆One less drug means more health, Liberty Times reminds you to stay away from drugs☆
Kuomintang legislator Luo Zhiqiang called on the Lanying Civil Representative to hold a press conference on the 5th, shouting "resolutely opposed to providing drugs to drug addicts in community centers" and announced that the anti-drug King Kong advertising vehicle will be on the road. (File photo)
Wang Wanyu, Chairman of Times Force. (File photo)
