Is Methaqualone (Quaaludes) legal in China?
- Legal status
- Methaqualone (甲喹酮/安眠酮) is a Category I psychotropic substance in China's Catalogue of Medicinal Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs (药用类精神药品目录, 2025 edition, NMPA/MPS/NHC) — the named transposition of its 1971 Convention Schedule II status; clinical use ended in the 1980s and it is no longer marketed.
- Consequences if caught
- Production, trafficking and possession are penalised under the Regulation on the Administration of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs and the Criminal Law, with sentencing graded by quantity.
- If prescribed or medical
- No recognised medical use / withdrawn — methaqualone is not marketed as a medicine in China.
- Documentation
- No medical or traveller route; there is no lawful prescription supply.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with China’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →