The use of amphetamines, narcotics, so-called dangerous herbs and other drugs has continued to increase in Japan. While the problems plaguing Japan have yet to reach the disastrous level of other countries, the rampant use of dangerous drugs has reached serious levels.
According to statistics compiled by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry in February, 0.4 percent of the Japanese population between 15 and 64 years old have tried stimulants at least once. In the United States, 5.1 percent of the population over age 12 has tried methamphetamines at least once.
For Japan, that percentage translates into 400,000 users of harmful substances, according to a survey by the health ministry. In Japan, celebrities such as Ryo Aska, who was arrested and convicted on drug charges, may serve as the public face of drug addiction, but for the average person, drugs have become ever easier to obtain at ever-lower prices.