01 Jul NEW REGULATION ON REHABILITATION OF DRUG ADDICTS
SHANGHAI / BEIJING – China issued the new regulation on drug rehabilitation on Sunday, the 24th International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
The regulation will work as a supplement to the country’s anti-drug law, which was implemented in 2008. For the first time it provides comprehensive provisions on drug rehabilitation work across the country.
The regulation, which aims at exploring more comprehensive and effective ways to curb drug use, lays more emphasis on the role of communities and families in helping drug users reduce their dependency on narcotics and states that, “drug users are encouraged to voluntarily undergo rehabilitation programs” and “will be exempt from punishment”..
According to the new regulation, treatment for up to nine years will be provided to serious drug users to guarantee their detoxification, while in the past compulsory rehabilitation lasted only three to six months.
During the nine years in the voluntary, community-based, or government-ordered drug rehabilitation centers, drug addicts will receive counseling services and education on the prevention of HIV/AIDS and other contagious diseases.