SIX OUT OF EVERY 100 SEVENTH GRADERS HAVE TRIED DRUGS

Six out of every 100 seventh graders have tried drugs, according to a
survey published yesterday. Yang Cheng-ping, secretary-general of the
Champions Education Association, said in releasing the results of the
survey he was shocked to find so many students have tried drugs.

Altogether 17,265 seventh graders were polled by the Champions
Education Association.

Of them 6.1 percent admitted to using drugs at least once, Yang said.
No tally of addicts was available.

Among the drugs used were ketamine and Ecstasy, Yang said. No hard
drugs such as heroine were mentioned, he added.

Another 7.2 percent of the respondents confessed they joined school
gangs that have connections with the mob.

Still another 15.1 percent said they were addicted to Internet
chatting, Yang said.

But the National Police Administration doubts the results of the survey.

"There shouldn't be that many youngsters trying drugs," said an NPA spokesman.

NPA statistics show only 420 minors, those under 18 years of age,
were referred to district courts for prosecution on drug abuse
charges in the first eight months of this year.

At least 800 seventh graders had to be arraigned before district
prosecutors, according to the Champions Education Association survey.

Moreover, the police spokesman said, the number of cases hasn't
increased markedly. A total of 405 youths were arraigned in the
corresponding period of 2006.

On the other hand, Wang Fu-lin, director of military training at the
Ministry of Education, said most of the students trying drugs are dropouts.

More than 6,000 dropouts were reported in the last school year, Wang
said. "One out of every ten of the dropouts became an addict and
joined a gang," he pointed out.

Wang said the education ministry requires schools to pay more
attention to absentees, who are likely to be dropouts. "Students who
are absent without leave for three days or more have to be closely
watched," he added.