Miserable North Koreans turn to METH and morphine in bid to forget their grinding poverty
Citizens of the Communist state have resorted to buying prescription drugs off the black market that contain opiates
Kim Jong-un’s subjects are turning to opiates and crystal meth to escape the grinding poverty in the hermit state.
The despot’s scientists churn out meth – known as ice - to be sold abroad to raise hard currency for his arms programmes.
And everyday medicines like painkillers and even cough mixtures have high levels of opiates like morphine in them.
Now workers in his drug factories have a lucrative trade in siphoning off supplies of methamphetamine and opiates to be sold on the black market.
Prices of medicines containing opiates have gone through the roof due to a shortage and drug dealers are cashing in.
South Korean newspaper Daily NK reported: “One of the reasons opiates have become rampant in North Korea society is due to the extreme levels of stress, poverty and oppression that citizens suffer at the hands of the state.
“Recently, the economy has taken a turn for the worse as official rations have been unable to cover living expenses, while rising inequality and unemployment have led to financial insecurity for a significant proportion of the population.
“To make matters worse, the prices for medicines sold on the black market have gone up.
The centrally-planned economy has negatively impacted the country’s healthcare system.
“While treatment is supposed to be free, in reality there is very little in the way of healthcare infrastructure and medicine has become increasingly unaffordable on the black market. This had led more and more people to turn to opiates like morphine or ice.”
MOST READ IN WORLD NEWS
The paper said ice was also popular with North Koreans.
It reported: “The demand for ice has skyrocketed as it has slowly spread throughout society.
“Residents in the country’s markets can often be overheard saying that dealing ice is a pathway to riches. Not only limited to the upper class, ice has now become the drug of choice for the middle class as well, from bureaucrats to university students.”