A question by one of my students in a drug class provoked some research in to just how the Chinese treat drug users and substance abuse. This is the second in a series of blogs regarding China and the way it handles substance abuse issues.
Does China offer drug classes and rehabilitation? This certainly is not an issue you read about often. The fact is that there is little attempt at rehabilitation in China for drug users – unless you consider hard labor rehabilitation! As reported in www.theatlantic.com.
In addition to being used as works camps, drug rehab centers are also infested with illegal drugs. Imagine that! Many detainees admit to injecting drugs into their body. Drugs are readily available, needles are not. Many wind up getting HIV.
Keep in mind that drug abuse in China isn't considered a criminal offense, yet drug users are usually sent to detention centers without any formal trial, never seeing the inside of a courtroom.
Have known anyone with any experience with Chinese drug rehabilitation? If so, I would love to hear from you. As with most everything coming out of China you never seem to get a straight answer. I am quite interested to learn more about how our planet’s most populated country deals with addiction issues.