China's tightened drug control measures bring major results

Big strides made with whole-category restrictions; number of abusers declines

Since its whole-category control of fentanyl-related substances, China has not received reports from other countries about seizing such substances that originate from China, an official told China Daily.

Wu Tingfang, head of the Precursor and New Psychoactive Substance Control Division of the Ministry of Public Security's Narcotics Control Bureau, was speaking ahead of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which fell on Thursday.

China's inclusion of all nitazenes, a class of synthetic opioids, together with 12 other new psychoactive substances on its controlled drug list, which will take effect on Tuesday, is one of its latest moves to tighten such control.