China Reports Over One-Third Drop in Drug Convictions in 2025
Chinese courts concluded 23,732 first-instance drug cases in 2025, a decline of more than one-third from the previous year, according to data released Wednesday by the Supreme People’s Court. The figures mark a continuation of a decade-long downward trend, with drug case numbers now falling to levels not seen since before the year 2000.
A Decade of Declining Drug Cases
The 33.82% year-on-year drop from 35,859 cases in 2024 represents a dramatic acceleration in the decline of drug-related prosecutions. Compared to the 2015 peak of approximately 139,000 cases, the number of drug cases has fallen by 82.93% over ten years, as Xinhua News Agency reported.
Liu Weibo (刘为波), Chief Judge of the Fifth Criminal Division of the Supreme People’s Court, described the trend in an interview: “In 2025, courts nationwide concluded 23,732 drug cases, continuing the decade-long downward trend, down 82.93% from the 2015 peak of 139,000 cases, and down 33.82% from 2024’s 36,000 cases. Drug case numbers have now fallen to pre-2000 levels,” as reported by Phoenix News/Top News.
Harsher Sentences for Convicted Offenders
While the number of cases has fallen sharply, the courts are imposing tougher sentences on those convicted. In 2025, 7,398 people were sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of five years or more, yielding a severe punishment rate (重刑率) of 21.32% — up 4.4 percentage points from the previous year. Early data for 2026 shows this trend continuing, with the severe punishment rate reaching 23.09% in the first five months of the year.
The Rise of New-Type Drugs
Despite the overall decline in drug cases, a significant shift is underway in China’s drug landscape. New-type drug cases — involving narcotic psychotropic substances and new psychoactive substances (NPS) — are growing both in absolute numbers and as a share of total cases. In 2025, new-type drug cases totaled approximately 10,600, accounting for 45% of all drug cases, up from 39.1% in 2024.
Liu Weibo noted the complexity of the current situation: “In recent years, while China’s drug situation has been continuously improving, it has also been undergoing profound and complex changes.” He added that cases involving new-type drugs are on the rise, with etomidate surpassing heroin to become the second most seriously abused substance in China.
Etomidate (依托咪酯), an anesthetic that has been repurposed for recreational use in so-called “head rush e-cigarettes” (上头电子烟), was classified as a Category II psychotropic substance on October 1, 2023. Judge Tang Xiaoran (汤笑然) of the Supreme People’s Court warned: “In recent years, etomidate has often been disguised by criminals as e-cigarettes and marketed with ‘head rush’ as a gimmick, which is highly deceptive and tempting to inexperienced young people, with a clear trend toward younger age groups among abusers,” as Hangzhou News reported.
Youth at the Center of the Crisis
A major concern highlighted across all sources is the vulnerability of minors and young people. New-type drugs are often disguised as everyday items — candy, beverages, e-cigarettes, and even postage stamps — making them highly deceptive. Li Xiaoguang (李晓光), Deputy Chief Judge of the Fifth Criminal Division, stated at a press conference: “Strictly punishing new-type drug crimes that target minors is a matter of utmost urgency,” as China Youth Daily reported.
Young people have become the primary group abusing new drugs and non-scheduled addictive substances. The trend shows both younger offenders and younger age groups among drug users. Abuse of non-scheduled substances such as nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”) has also become a prominent concern.
The Non-Contact Drug Trade
The combination of internet platforms, logistics delivery services, and electronic payment systems has created a “non-contact” model for drug trafficking that poses new challenges for law enforcement. This model makes it harder to link drugs, money, and perpetrators in evidence chains, complicating prosecution efforts.
Policy Response and Forward Look
The Supreme People’s Court is drafting a new normative document jointly with the Supreme People’s Procuratorate and Ministry of Public Security specifically addressing new-type drug crimes, with special provisions for cases involving minors. Li Ruiyi (李睿懿), Chief Judge of the Fifth Criminal Division, emphasized: “We pay special attention to severely punishing source crimes such as smuggling, manufacturing, and large-scale trafficking of drugs according to law… For those whose crimes are extremely serious and who should be sentenced to severe punishment or even death according to law, we resolutely impose such sentences.”
Courts maintain a “zero tolerance” policy while also applying leniency for minor offenders, first-time offenders, and minors who are coerced or lured into drug crimes. The Supreme People’s Court has also issued judicial recommendations to the National Health Commission on strengthening regulation of medical psychotropic substances.
As China’s drug landscape continues to evolve, the key challenge remains balancing strict enforcement with the rapidly changing nature of drug abuse — particularly the rise of new psychoactive substances that can emerge faster than regulatory frameworks can adapt.