Chinese teens turn to prescription drugs to escape academic pressure

Xiaomei, a 14-year-old high-achiever from a coastal Chinese province, started purchasing cough suppressant tablets online without a prescription, later moving on to pain and epilepsy medications to cope with exam stress and family conflict. Over two years she regularly consumed large quantities, sometimes more than ten tablets at a time, describing the resulting dizziness as a brief respite from relentless academic pressure.

Online chat rooms reveal dozens of teenagers sharing dosage tips, sourcing instructions, and encouragement to use drugs that are not yet tightly regulated. A nationwide crackdown began two years ago, reclassifying the original cough suppressant as a psychotropic drug and tightening controls on a second medication in April, yet youths quickly shift to other substances. Sociologists attribute the trend to the high-stakes education system, one-child family expectations, and limited social interaction, noting a concerning link to self-harm behaviors.

The state has pledged to place counsellors in most primary and junior schools and to provide county-level psychiatric services, but a severe shortage of qualified child psychiatrists hampers implementation. Experts argue that addressing underlying mental-health needs is essential, as punitive drug controls alone cannot stop the phenomenon.