[2024 National Audit] 27,000 Drug Offenders Last Year... Management Is Inadequate

Last year, the number of drug offenders reached 27,000, raising concerns that the government's post-management of drug addicts is inadequate.

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According to data submitted by the National Health Insurance Service to Seomung-ok, a member of the People Power Party, in 2023, the number of people treated for drug addiction nationwide was 3,155 inpatients and 3,226 outpatients.

Representative Seo claimed that there is no follow-up management for patients treated in hospitals. Seo said, “Even in drug treatment and protection institutions (hospitals) managed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, post-management of drug addicts is limited to providing information about centers,” adding, “Management of drug addicts is urgently needed.”

Addiction rehabilitation management is also poorly operated. Social rehabilitation of drug addicts falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Rehabilitation work has been carried out this year by the Addiction Rehabilitation Center (Hangeoreum Center) under the Drug Eradication Movement Headquarters, a public institution designated under the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. According to Seo’s office, the number of drug addiction case managers at Hangeoreum Centers nationwide last year was 1,180, but only 444 of them reused the center. More than 60% did not reuse the center and only received one case management.

The reuse rate of drug offenders, the main users of the Hangeoreum Center, is also low. Among those who received a suspended indictment on the condition of completing education at the center, only 19.6% revisited the center after the education last year, and only 7.2% of those who completed mandatory reoffense prevention education during probation revisited the center. Seo said, “Considering that the recidivism rate of drug offenders has been high at around 35% since 2019, continuous case management and other improvements are necessary.”

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