The Prosecutor’s Office has released a nationwide analysis of substance abuse violations, as defined in Subsection 5.1, Article 3 of the Law on Infringement, covering data from 2023 through the first half of 2025. The findings reveal a concerning upward trend, with a total of 685 cases registered during this period. In 2023, authorities recorded 197 violations, which rose sharply to 300 in 2024. The first half of 2025 alone saw 188 cases, indicating a persistent increase.
The number of violations investigated in 2024 grew by 52.3 percent compared to the previous year, while the first half of 2025 reflected a 63.5 percent rise compared to the same period in 2024. Most of these cases—604 out of the total—were reported in the capital city, while 81 occurred in rural areas, with Darkhan-Uul and Orkhon provinces registering the highest numbers in the countryside.
Over the past three years, investigative authorities forwarded 532 of these cases to court, involving 787 individuals. Courts imposed penalties in 474 of the cases, sentencing 715 people. Among them, 139 received fines while 576 were sentenced to detention. Compared to 2023, the number of court-referred cases in 2024 rose by 50.1 percent, and the upward trend continued into 2025, with a 50.6 percent increase in court referrals during the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2024.
Detention sentences also rose, with the number of people detained in 2024 increasing by 57.2 percent compared to 2023. However, in the first half of 2025, the number slightly declined by 22.1 percent compared to the same timeframe in 2024. Meanwhile, fines decreased by 16.7 percent in 2024 but more than doubled in the first half of 2025 compared to the previous year.
A closer look at the age and gender distribution of those sentenced reveals that the majority were young people, with the highest number of offenders falling into the 18 to 25 age group. A significant number were under 18, followed by those in their late twenties and early thirties. Sentences were also handed down to individuals across older age brackets, although in much smaller numbers. Men made up the overwhelming majority of offenders, accounting for 84.6 percent, while women represented 15.4 percent.
In terms of substances used, a large portion of offenders had consumed drugs listed under Schedule II of the 1971 United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances, including substances such as marijuana and methamphetamine. Others had inhaled paint thinners or gas, used prescription drugs without supervision, or consumed various other intoxicants.
Under current law, substance abuse that does not meet the threshold for criminal liability is punishable by a fine equivalent to 100 penalty units or, alternatively, by mandatory education combined with detention ranging from seven to thirty days. Authorities stress that the surge in substance abuse, particularly among youth, highlights the urgent need for stronger preventive measures, public education, and broader community engagement to address this escalating issue.
