Teenagers in China are increasingly turning to prescription and over-the-counter medicines to achieve a "pharmaceutical high", using them as a way to escape intense academic pressure, according to BBC reporting based on interviews and social media chat groups. One 14-year-old, given the pseudonym Xiaomei, began overdosing on cough medication and later moved on to other drugs, including painkillers and epilepsy medication, taking large doses to numb the stress of exams and family conflict over a two-year period.

The BBC found dozens of similar accounts across Chinese social media, with teenagers swapping tips on which unregulated drugs to buy and how to fake prescriptions. Authorities launched a crackdown two years ago on the cough suppressant Xiaomei used, and imposed tighter controls in April 2026 on another drug teenagers had switched to, yet the substance was still being offered online for as little as 10 yuan (£1.09) per gram. Experts note that China's role as a major producer of pharmaceutical ingredients makes such drugs cheap and easy to obtain, and that young people quickly find alternatives whenever a particular substance is restricted.