Number of drug-related cases in China drops significantly in 2025

BEIJING -- China witnessed a sharp decline in its number of drug-related cases last year, following severe crackdowns and effective governance in recent years, the Supreme People's Court (SPC) announced on Monday.

In 2025, a total of 23,732 drug-related cases in first-instance trials were concluded in courts across China, down over 33 percent from the previous year, figures released by the SPC showed.

According to the SPC, it has consistently prioritized the stringent punishment of such crimes. From 2023 to 2025, courts across the country concluded 93,000 first-instance drug-related cases and sentenced 133,000 defendants. Among these individuals, 20 percent were given prison terms of five years or more, while the level of such jail terms for all criminal cases during the same period was much lower.

Liu Weibo, a senior SPC judge, said that in recent years the number of new types of narcotics-related cases has been growing in China, reflecting a considerable structural shift in the country's drug abuse patterns.

When adjudicating such new-type cases involving drugs like medical-use anesthetics and psychoactive substances, the SPC not only imposes strict penalties for criminal activities, but also takes care in safeguarding the legitimate medication needs of the Chinese people, the agency noted.

In addition, the SPC released information detailing six typical drug-related cases to help the public, especially the youth, better recognize and resist drugs.