'I Was Running Away From Reality': Why Chinese Teens Are Turning To Prescription Drugs

Chinese teenagers facing intense academic pressure are increasingly misusing prescription drugs to cope with anxiety and exam stress, according to a BBC report. One student, Xiaomei, began taking cough medicine at 14 after being told it would help her relax. 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.

"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. "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. They were doing that by chasing what is being described as a "pharmaceutical high".

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."

"Just sleep," comes the advice. "You will be fine tomorrow."

One boy offered to use his father's old prescription to fake a new one for the same drug.

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. In excessive doses it can cause confusion or even delirium.

"Which keyword should I use to search for it on online platforms," another user asks.

Authorities have cracked down on specific drugs, but users simply switch to new ones or use coded names to evade detection. Official youth drug-use numbers have fallen sharply, yet prescription drug misuse among minors is rising, according to China's Narcotics Control Commission.

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.