Premier Wen Jiabao has signed an order for the promulgation of Regulation on Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, which will take effect on November 1, 2005.

The regulation aims to beef up control over narcotic and psychotropic drugs, ensure the legal, safe and appropriate usage of narcotic and psychotropic drugs and curb them from illegal distribution channels.

Issued in 89 articles of nine chapters, the regulation covers planting, laboratory research, production, distribution, usage, storage, transportation, registration and supervision of narcotic and psychotropic drugs, and legal penalties of violation.

According to the regulation, the state bans any social unit or individual from planting, laboratory research, production, distribution, usage, storage and transportation of narcotic and psychotropic drugs.

The state administration on drug supervision will set annual production plans of narcotic and psychotropic drugs, and the state agricultural administration will set annual planting plans in compliance with the production plans.

Those enterprises allowed to produce and plant narcotic and psychotropic drugs must report to the relevant local and state departments on a regular basis.

The state administration on drug supervision will set the number and allocation of production enterprises of narcotic and psychotropic drugs in accordance with demands and make adjustment every year.

Meanwhile, the new regulation still, as always, prohibits retail sales of narcotic drugs and psychotropic drugs listed in Class 1, and retail sales of psychotropic drugs listed in Class 2 to minors.

The regulation also stipulates that clinical experiment of narcotic drugs and psychotropic drugs listed in Class 1 cannot be done on healthy people, and sending narcotic and psychotropic drugs by post requires permits from local drug supervision departments.

(Xinhua News Agency August 26, 2005)