Synthetic Drug Boom: Potential Threat to HIV/AIDS Transmission in China

摘要

Despite achievements obtained in HIV/ AIDS control and prevention with the joint efforts of international agencies, Chinese government, and social organizations, still the epidemic grows quickly in China. Since 2007, sexual transmission has outweighed blodd transmission and injection drug use and become the major route of HIV transmission in China. In recent years, we have seen a boom of synthetic drugs in China. Although empirical data on synthetic drugs are scarce in China, existing information indicated that synthetic drugs, such as crystal meth-amphetamine, ketamine, and ecstacy, were becoming more and more popular in the general population, as well as populations at high risk of HIV/AIDS. To make it worse, the youth younger than 25 years account for most of the synthetic drug users and the average age tends to be younger and younger.