Daily Yeonhap (SNSJYV) Reporter-in-training Kunwoo Lee | Youth drug abuse in Korea is rising at alarming rates, with teens and young adults now accounting for nearly 40% of drug-related arrests. According to the Korea Customs Service and the National Police Agency, more than 20,000 people were arrested for drug-related crimes in 2023. The increasing circulation of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, new psychoactive substances (NPS), and the illegal sale of drugs through overseas online platforms have fueled concerns that young people are rapidly becoming a major consumer group.
For six international school students in Seoul, these numbers stopped being abstract a long time ago. Some had seen classmates experiment with pills purchased online. Others had heard peers joke casually about “study drugs” like ADHD medication, not realizing how easily misuse could slip into dependency. “What shocked me most,” one student explained, “was realizing that people my age don’t even see some of these substances as dangerous. It feels normal—and that’s terrifying.”
That sense of urgency led to the creation of the ‘Not A Lab’ Youth Drug Prevention Project, a peer-driven campaign launching this October in Korea and Mongolia. Mongolia was chosen as a partner because of growing student exchanges and shared concerns about youth health, making it an important collaborator in tackling these issues together.
The project will involve more than 100 students and aims to raise awareness of drug risks among youth by at least 50%, measured through pre- and post-project surveys and interactive assessments. Students have developed a bilingual (Korean–English) prevention guidebook and a website/app that lets young people check drug ingredients, verify legal status, and explore interactive educational content.
To make prevention personal, participants will also create posters, storytelling videos, and host candid Q&A sessions. “Drug abuse is no longer just someone else’s problem—it’s a reality our generation must face,” said one of the student leaders. “We want to be the ones who tell our peers the truth—because sometimes, they’ll listen to us before they listen to adults.”
An IYCEF official added, “Peer-centered initiatives build stronger connections among teenagers and inspire real behavioral change. ‘Not A Lab’ is a meaningful example of putting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into practice, especially SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 4 (Quality Education).”
As youth drug abuse grows worldwide, these students are proving that prevention and education can begin with their own voices—and that those voices can carry across borders.
