The World - News from Oct. 10, 1989

China acknowledged that farmers have been found growing opium poppies in southwestern border areas and that drug addiction has become a problem in the region. Liu Wen, director of criminal investigation in the Ministry of Public Security, said he does not know the number of addicts. He blamed the outbreak on China’s increased contacts with foreigners, especially Hong Kong residents. Liu spoke at a Beijing news conference at the end of a five-day, closed-door conference on drug-law enforcement in Asia, organized by Interpol. Officials said China’s drug-trafficking problem remains relatively small but that the number of cases there increased to 268 in 1988 from just 56 the year before.