Police drones to spot opium poppy plantations

Beijing police will use an unmanned drone and a manned helicopter in its third annual anti-opium campaign, which will coincide with International Anti-drug Day on Tuesday.

Beijing police launched the annual "aerial anti-drug program" Friday, which is set to last for a month.　

Although this is the third year unmanned drones have been used to spot opium poppies in Beijing's rural areas, so far no poppy plantations have been found.　

Beijing's mountainous areas are often difficult to access, and unmanned drones are a better way to save police man-hours and get a much clearer picture of the whole area with its camera, said Xu Zhigang, an officer from the anti-drug squad at Mentougou district public security bureau.

Poppy plantations had been spotted near the border of Beijing and Hebei Province, but not inside Beijing, Xu said.

"It doesn't mean Beijing is unsuitable to grow opium [poppies], actually the plant adapts to the environment well," Xu said.

Professionals who treat recovering addicts believe that opium is no longer the drug of choice, as drug users have turned to other narcotics.　

"In recent years, more patients have become addicted to new types of drugs, such as methamphetamine and ecstasy," said Yu Xin, a psychologist who has helped drug addicts for five years.

"Drugs like opium and heroin have lost popularity, as they can't offer a continuous high at clubs, and are also difficult to make," said Yu.

Drug traffickers are much more likely to be caught with methamphetamine than heroin now, according to an investigation by Haidian district court, the Beijing News reported on Thursday.