Liu Yuejin

China says economic losses from drug abuse hit $81 bln a year

China on June 24 gave its first-ever assessment of the scourge of drug abuse, saying it caused annual economic losses of 500 billion yuan ($80.54 billion) and as many as 49,000 deaths last year. 

China has intensified a crackdown on drugs as the rise of a new urban class with greater disposable income has fuelled a surge in the numbers of drug addicts.