When it comes to drugs, Taiwan is a rather odd country. The penalty for drug possession of any kind is extremely serious. I've heard anywhere from 20 years to life, depending on the amount you have. On the other hand, there are few stores that sell drug paraphernalia (mostly for weed) and it's a poorly kept secret that you can get drugs from these places directly.
In the past weed and hash seemed only to be among the foreign community. Perhaps they felt safe knowing that if they were ever caught they would just be kicked out the country. Seems ridiculous to me, as if I were the Taiwanese government, I'd be dying to make an example out of these arrogant foreigners.
Slowly weed has spread to recreational use among younger Taiwanese. It is still not known at all by older people, even the police. I have seen and smelled many times kids smoking weed in public and other Taiwanese having no idea what is going on. In my old neighborhood there were a few groups of kids who would get their jollies smoking weed across from the police station.
There are harder drugs in Taiwan, but only a few times here have I looked at somebody and felt that they are a serious drug fiend. So either they manage their addiction very well here, or there just aren't that many addicts. I'm guessing the latter.
The one thing I have never heard of here, is drug testing at any job. Which is a shame, cause the other day I found a great way to get free clean urine. To renew your visa, foreigners must take a physical exam. Basically to find out if you have any disease or condition they don't want in Taiwan, and if so, they will kick you out. Well I took a friend to the hospital to show her the ropes of getting your physical exam, and I saw that this hospital has you put your urine sample in a box on the table when you first come in the physical exam area.
Really makes me wish I knew some serious drug users who needed clean pee for some reason. Or even some athletes who have been juicing. With the olympics coming up, this must be a real concern. I've been dying for a way to get into the urine business.
