While the number of drug-related crimes and addiction patients is increasing, the number of patients actually receiving addiction treatment remains low, according to analysis results. In particular, even when treatment begins, most patients visit a hospital only once and then discontinue care, indicating a need for improvements in the treatment infrastructure for drug addiction and awareness.
According to the report titled "Analysis of Drug Use Using Public Health and Medical Databases" from the Korea Health and Welfare Human Resources Development Institute on the 18th, the number of people treated for drug addiction diseases increased from 5,226 in 2012 to 6,877 in 2022, a 31.6% increase. Compared to the approximately doubled number of domestic drug offenders during this period, the number of patients receiving treatment for addiction falls significantly short of the scale of the crime.
The institute analyzed individuals who used medical services for mental stimulants and behavioral disorders (drug addiction diseases) by utilizing big data from the National Health Insurance Corporation during this period.
Looking at the data, the number of drug addicts recorded in 2012 was 5,226, which peaked at 6,026 in 2014 and 7,103 in 2016. Although it slightly decreased to 7,074 in 2018 and 6,453 in 2020, it increased again to 6,877 in 2022.
In 2022, the most common drugs for which domestic drug addiction patients received treatment were "multiple substances and others" at 3,252 cases, followed by "tranquilizers or sleeping pills" at 2,345 cases, "cannabinoids" at 878 cases, "stimulants containing caffeine" at 623 cases, "opioids" at 283 cases, "hallucinogens" at 157 cases, and "cocaine" at 16 cases.
While the number of cocaine seizures has increased explosively, the number of patients receiving treatment has continuously decreased. Looking at the trends of treated addiction patients by drug, the number of stimulant addicts increased by 153% from 2012 to 2022. Cannabinoids followed at 135%, hallucinogens at 72.6%, and opioids at 70.5%. In contrast, patients treated for cocaine addiction actually decreased by 56.8%.
On the other hand, the number of domestic drug users is sharply increasing. According to the "Drug Crime White Paper" published annually by the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office, the number of domestic drug offenders reached 18,395 in 2022, nearly double the 9,255 recorded in 2012. Drug offenders are categorized into smuggling, trading, use, and others. The number of drug users also rose during the same period from 5,082 to 10,899. Given that drugs can cause strong addiction, the number of patients should have increased similarly, but the actual number of patients receiving medical services has not kept pace.
The research team analyzed that the lack of treatment infrastructure for drug addicts in the country and negative perceptions towards patients are reasons for the low treatment rates among addiction patients. In fact, the rate of cessation of treatment after one medical consultation or hospitalization among domestic drug addiction patients stood at a high rate of 78.5%. The treatment cessation rate for drug addicts is overwhelmingly high compared to 27.2% for recurrent depression, 20% for bipolar disorder, 16.7% for schizophrenia, and 2.9% for depressive disorders.
The research team noted, "The analysis of the prevalence and treatment timing of drug addiction patients in the country has confirmed that the initiation of treatment is delayed and adherence to medical prescriptions is low," and emphasized that "to treat drug addiction patients, it is necessary to expand specialized treatment infrastructure for drug addiction and establish a system within a universal healthcare framework that allows access to medical services."