S China uses VR in anti-drug campaign
Xinhua, November 16, 2016 Adjust font size:
"My pulse is beating fast. I feel dizzy and very uncomfortable," said Ye Yilin, a junior high school student in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong province.
Ye had just watched a VR simulation, which showed people's reactions to narcotics. "I will never take illegal drugs," she said, taking off the helmet.
Ye is one of a hundred students and teachers at the school who participated in an anti-drug program Wednesday.
While fully aware of the harm drugs can do from media reports, she said the VR gave her a new perspective.
"The world people see after taking drugs is a totally different one," she said. "People feel they're lost, which is really terrible."
Statistics from the China National Narcotics Control Commission showed that China had 2.3 million registered drug users in 2015, over 43,000 of whom were under 18.
While traditional drugs are on the decline, new drugs are on the rise, and teenagers the most likely to fall victim, said Chen Zhijian of Guangzhou police, "therefore, we're using new approaches to raise awareness."
The VR-equipped anti-drug vehicle will visit communities and schools across Guangzhou. Endi