A group of underage drug users, led by their instructor, walk in single file to their dormitory at a juvenile rehabilitation center in Hefei, the capital of east China's Anhui Province on June 25, 2015. [Photo: hf365.com]

A three-year program has been announced that aims to reduce the number of underage drug users and increase awareness among juveniles, according to a televised meeting on Tuesday.

According to the plan, jointly made by 14 departments including the National Narcotics Control Commission (NNCC) and the Ministry of Education, the program will focus on people aged from 10 to 25 to achieve a "notable reduction" in new drug users.

Liu Yuejin, deputy director of the NNCC, called for more than 200 million students nationwide to receive drug-prevention education to increase awareness on a large scale.

Liu said special attention should be given to high-risk groups, such as the offspring of drug addicts, fresh graduates and unemployed youth.

All schools should offer classes on drug awareness and education bureaus should improve training for teachers.

In an earlier NNCC statement, it was reported that the average age of drug users in China had fallen. As of June, about 1.89 million registered drug users across China were younger than 35, accounting for 58.4 percent of the total.