Taipei: Taiwanese junior high school students aged 12 to 14 who have used illegal narcotics are three to eight times more likely to come from economically disadvantaged families, according to new research by the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI). Students who had used illegal drugs were also three times more likely to have family members who used drugs compared to their peers, NHRI researcher Chen Chuan-yu stated in a news release.

According to Focus Taiwan, Chen explained that the NHRI study, published in January in the International Journal of Drug Policy, analyzed data from the Ministry of Education between 2013 and 2016. Among the 1,605 junior high school students recorded as having used illegal drugs, 81 percent had taken category 3 or 4 narcotics, and 35 percent were reported for drug use again within four years.

The research further showed that nearly 80 percent of these students had taken ketamine, and 25.6 percent came from low-income families. The NHRI team also discovered that students who had received "high-risk family" services were 43 percent less likely to be reported for drug use again.

Chen suggested that prevention strategies should focus on strengthening collaboration across education, social welfare, and healthcare systems. Huang Jui-wen, head of the Department of Protective Services at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, noted that adult drug users with family support needs are provided with services to help their families. The department head explained that category 1 or 2 juvenile narcotics cases are handled by the Juvenile Court, while class 3 or 4 narcotics cases are referred to the juvenile advisory committee.