More young female drug users reported in north China province

More young females are using illicit drugs in Hebei province, according to the anti-drug office of the provincial department of public security.

By June, there were 14,000 registered drug addicts in the province, 155 of which were under the age of 18. And 112 of the 155 minor drug users were female.

"Although the minor drug addicts make up a small proportion of the total registered addicts, the number is increasing annually. What's worse, many drug users around the age of 20 get involved with drugs before they are 18 years old," said Qi Wenjian, a police officer with the anti-drug office.

"I started to take drugs when I was 17. My girlfriend, who was then 15 years old, offered me the drugs," said Xue Wei, a 25-year-old drug addict who is receiving treatment in the provincial compulsory rehabilitation center.

A random survey by Xinhua in a girl's dormitory in the provincial compulsory rehabilitation center revealed that six out of the 11 drug addicts in the dorm were born in the 1990s.

Most of these young female drug users come from two diametrically different kinds of families -- rich families and rural poverty-stricken families, Officer Qi said, adding that an increasing number of girl drug addicts come from the later group.

Since they have not been well-educated and have little social experience, they are more likely to be lured by addicts when they migrate from their hometown to make a living in big cities, Qi said.