Caught in the Drug Trap: "No Money? Sell 10, Get 2" — The Teens Turned Into 'Droppers'

Teenagers who begin using drugs in their teens rarely stop at mere consumption.

Because they need money to sustain their drug habits and accumulate funds, they often end up reaching into the 'familiar world' of drug distribution and sales.

While raising money through other crimes such as voice phishing or gambling, some even take on drug 'dropper' (courier) roles, taking drugs instead of cash as payment.

In the case of female teenagers, there are also numerous instances where they suffer sexual exploitation or are driven into prostitution in exchange for drugs.

What starts out as casual drug use encouraged by peers leads directly into a 'trap of crime'.

Park Sang-gyu, secretary-general of DAPCOC (Drug Addiction Prevention and Rehabilitation Center for Universities), shared a counseling case involving an eighth-grade female student who fell into 'dead-drop' style sales and distribution after using drugs.

"Dealers tell teenagers who cannot afford drugs, 'If you don't have money, sell 10 and get high on 2,' allowing the kids to taste the drugs for free," he said.

Teen drug users who participated in interviews also directly experienced or witnessed secondary crimes.

A, 25, who first used drugs in the second year of middle school, received suspension of indictment rulings in 2020 and 2025 respectively after turning herself in to the police.

However, escaping drugs was not easy.

While trying to raise money for drug consumption, A became entangled in a voice phishing crime, and was eventually tried while in custody before being released on bail.

B, 23, who was first introduced to drugs by his girlfriend during his senior year of high school, also stated, "A friend I know met a boyfriend who was both an addict and a dealer, and ended up getting involved in distribution together. Friends tied up in distribution or sales are continually exposed to that kind of environment."

Experts explained that a considerable number of teenagers become entangled in other crimes like voice phishing or gambling while trying to raise money to buy drugs.

Even when a teenager is caught for the first time and receives a suspension of indictment or probation considering mitigating circumstances such as a first offense or self-surrender, this cannot prevent them from sliding into other crimes.

Testimony has also emerged that teenagers are becoming key players in the distribution and sales market, rather than simple drug consumers.

Cheon Young-hoon, head of Chamsarang Hospital, a specialized drug treatment institution, noted, "Kids these days don't pay money for drugs. They know where drug droppers leave their drops, so if they take a walk for about half a day, they can easily pick up drugs."

Dr. Cheon added, "I easily hear kids say, 'Director, who pays money for drugs these days?' A distinct market has formed around drugs."

Drug-addicted teenagers get tangled up with criminal syndicates or dealers, and are also exposed to other crimes such as sex trafficking mediated by drugs.

Secretary-General Park stated, "There are many cases where girls are lured on Telegram under the pretext of being given drugs, only to face sexual exploitation and blackmail."

Kim Nang-hee, a research fellow at the Korean Institute of Criminology and Justice, pointed out, "The problem with teenage drug use is that once they cross the line, they become addicted to illegal drugs, and the doors to crimes like gambling and sex crimes are blown wide open," noting that female teenagers are frequently entangled in prostitution.

"Looking back at the situations of kids who encounter drugs, many lack parental supervision or have been staying out all night and drinking since the upper grades of elementary school," Dr. Kim said. "Guidance and supervision by adults are essential."

Expert recommendations also emerged that criminal punishment alone is not a panacea and preventive education is crucial.

Yoon Hae-sung, a senior research fellow at the Korean Institute of Criminology and Justice, stated, "Drug crimes are difficult to catch, so simply strengthening punishments is not the answer. We must foster professional instructors and establish substantive educational programs."

Drug crimes are quintessential 'dark figure crimes' where transactions and consumption take place covertly, with a significant number of cases going undetected by investigative authorities.

Teenagers are no different.

According to data obtained from the National Police Agency by the office of Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Sang-sik, only 7 juveniles under the age of criminal responsibility (under 14) were booked on charges including violations of the Narcotics Control Act between January and July of this year.

Even this figure has already more than doubled compared to 3 cases last year.

Looking at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's monthly drug trend data for June 2026, the total number of recorded drug offenders this year reached 11,133, among whom juvenile offenders aged 15 to 18 accounted for only 289 (2.6%), and 19-year-olds for 134 (1.2%).

Juvenile offenders under 15 accounted for 33 (0.3%).

Experts analyze that the actual scale of the teenage drug problem is likely much larger than the statistics indicate.

Yoon Hae-sung, senior research fellow at the Korean Institute of Criminology and Justice, remarked, "Drugs are a prime example of crimes not captured in statistics. The number of criminally booked individuals is merely the tip of the iceberg, and juveniles under criminal responsibility or even younger youths have a substantial chance of going unbooked."

He added, "In the case of teenagers, many consume drugs without even knowing they are drugs, making this a quintessential crime that escapes statistics. Often, they are neither booked nor is the actual scale even grasped."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.