Beijing's entertainment venue owners have vowed to step up the fight against drugs.

"Owners and managers of entertainment venues have a bounden duty to keep drugs out of their businesses," said She Zhenzhong, deputy general manager of Passion Disco & KTV, a well-known night spot in Beijing.

She was speaking at a seminar held at the city's Municipal Centre of Detoxification and Rehabilitation yesterday.

"Fighting against drugs is not only the police's duty, but also the responsibility of business operators," he said.

She's opinion was shared by 160 owners and managers of Beijing entertainment venues who were participating in a special anti-drug training programme offered by the city's public security bureau yesterday.

The programme, including seminars, classes and tours, helped participants increase awareness of the dangerous effects of new drugs like methamphetamine, ecstasy and cocaine. It also taught them how to recognize these drugs.

The first group of 120 owners and managers underwent training last week; another 900 will participate in the programme throughout this month.

Fu Zhenghua, the bureau's deputy director, said that the move is designed to ensure that entertainment venues in the city are drug free by the end of the year, and all public areas are free of drugs by the end of 2008.

He warned that drug abuse has not yet been brought under effective control in Beijing, and is in fact on the rise.

He said entertainment venues are the site of "almost all cases that involve the use of new drugs".

Fu reiterated that entertainment businesses in Beijing such as discos, KTV and nightclubs that are caught organizing or covering up drug abuse will be suspended from operation for six months. In serious cases their business licenses will be revoked.

Bureau figures show that since June 1, 14 entertainment venues have been shut down or ordered to suspend business for half a year for their involvement in drug abuse.

Among them are Jinri Liangyuan Club, Wanhang Club and Yudu Club in Haidian District, Olympic Dance Hall in Xuanwu District, Jinqilin Club and Juyuan Club in Fengtai District, and Highland Club in Xicheng District.

Managers and employees at entertainment venues are encouraged to report any drug abuse cases to police.

Informants will be rewarded 5,000 yuan (US$625) to 10,000 yuan (US$1,250), and the venue will be exempted from being punished, according to the bureau.

Tommy Lai, general manager of Sunshine Club, said he fully supports the crackdown as "all managers want to have a healthy business environment."

But he said police should also take measures to protect the safety of informants. "To protect informants' private information is important," he said.

The public is also encouraged to dial 83552022 or 83552012,  to report drug abuse.

(China Daily September 6, 2006)