What started as an attempt to impress an older boy soon became a coping mechanism. Over the next two years, she obtained unprescribed medications online, taking large doses to feel numb and escape mounting pressure from studies, disappointing exam results and conflicts at home. One student, Xiaomei, began taking cough medicine at 14 after being told it would help her relax.
Chinese teenagers facing intense academic pressure are increasingly misusing prescription drugs to cope with anxiety and exam stress, according to a BBC report.
“I was running away from reality. The BBC has heard similar stories from dozens of Chinese teenagers in chat rooms across various social media platforms. Nearly every one of them seemed to be escaping the same thing: pressure. One girl shared a voice note after taking large doses of a neuropathic pain drug. Her words were slurred and hard to comprehend: “I feel my body doesn’t belong to me. I’m so dizzy.”
“When I felt too much pressure from my studies, or I didn’t do well at exams, or even when I quarrelled with my parents, I would take these drugs,” she told the BBC. They were doing that by chasing what is being described as a “pharmaceutical high”.
Experts, including sociologist Xiang Biao, link this to isolation, single-child family pressure, and a shrinking sense of future opportunity amid economic uncertainty. Depression affects nearly 95 million people in China, many under 18, while child psychiatrists remain scarce.
Xiaomei’s recovery began only after her parents responded with empathy rather than criticism-support she says made all the difference.
“You will be fine tomorrow. One boy offered to use his father’s old prescription to fake a new one for the same drug. In excessive doses it can cause confusion or even delirium. Authorities have cracked down on specific drugs, but users simply switch to new ones or use coded names to evade detection.
“Just sleep,” comes the advice. Some offered tips: “If you want to hallucinate, you can just buy… it’s not been controlled yet,” says one user, suggesting a drug used by people with Parkinson’s to control tremors. “Which keyword should I use to search for it on online platforms,” another user asks. Official youth drug-use numbers have fallen sharply, yet prescription drug misuse among minors is rising, according to China’s Narcotics Control Commission.
