Seoul runs drug prevention week under 'No What-Ifs' campaign

A woman in her 20s, identified only as A, began taking the appetite suppressant phentermine to lose weight. Over time, the drug's effectiveness wore off and her appetite surged, leading her to increase her dosage. When she tried to stop, she experienced depression and difficulty concentrating, driving her back to the medication. She ultimately required emergency inpatient treatment for psychotic symptoms including auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions. Phentermine is a short-term appetite suppressant used as an adjunct therapy for weight loss; it is classified as a psychotropic drug because it can cause dependence and tolerance. A Seoul Metropolitan Government official said the woman reported that "even after treatment, she felt a strong craving for the drug every time she passed the clinic where she had been prescribed it."

A's story is a real case featured in a drug prevention education video used by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Suspected drug use incidents have occurred in rapid succession in apartment complexes across the greater metropolitan area and in the heart of the city, and the misuse and abuse of medical narcotics has emerged as a growing social concern, heightening public anxiety. In response, the Seoul Metropolitan Government ran a prevention week titled "No What-Ifs With Drugs" at Seoul City Hall Plaza, combining a citizen participation campaign with prevention education to mark UN Anti-Drug Day on June 26. The UN designated the day following an international conference held in Vienna, Austria, in 1987.

The three-day campaign, which ran from June 26 through June 28, drew participation from related agencies including the Yongsan Police Station, the Jung-gu Pharmacists Association, the Gangnam and Gangbuk addiction management and integrated support centers, the Seoul Drug Management Center and the Seoul Youth Supporters.

At the venue, organizers informed the public about the dangers of narcotics and proper medication use, and ran citizen participation programs including drug-risk simulations, quizzes and pledge-writing activities. The event also introduced an integrated support system covering counseling, treatment and rehabilitation, and highlighted community resources — including addiction management and integrated support centers and the Seoul Drug Management Center — so residents could quickly connect with the help they needed.

On June 27, education sessions were held at Myeongjin Deulkkot Sarang Village, a child-rearing facility in Gangdong-gu. On June 28, the Seoul Metropolitan Government's drug response team led sessions on how young people can handle risky situations they may encounter, such as online solicitation and peer pressure. Kim Dae-gyu, a professor who spent 36 years working drug investigation cases, took part and shared practical strategies for responding to real-life scenarios and for refusing drug offers.

"The drug problem is no longer confined to a specific segment of society — it is a real threat that has penetrated the daily lives of ordinary citizens," said Jo Yeong-chang, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Public Health Bureau. "Seoul will continue to strengthen a response system that organically links prevention education, enforcement, and treatment and recovery support, building Seoul into a drug-safe city where residents can feel secure."

Meanwhile, statistics on the handling of medical narcotics in 2025, released June 24 by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Korea Institute of Drug Safety and Risk Management, showed that the number of patients prescribed medical narcotics has consistently risen over the past five years, reaching about 20.2 million last year, excluding duplicates — meaning roughly four in 10 South Koreans received at least one medical narcotic prescription. Of that total, about 12.62 million were prescribed anesthetics such as propofol, and about 9.72 million received hypnotics and sedatives such as midazolam and zolpidem. Anti-anxiety drugs accounted for the largest volume at 923.82 million tablets, followed by hypnotics and sedatives at 325.12 million tablets, anti-epileptic drugs at 252.43 million tablets and appetite suppressants at 213.72 million tablets.