Xie Dong, a former pop singer who was taken into custody last month for drug use, appeared on China Central Television on Tuesday, answering for his behavior.

Xie says that since he released his famous piece Smiling Face in 1994, he has found his career dwindling. It was hard for him to find another piece that could surpass Smiling Face - a fact which made him depressed.

Two years ago, when he was watching TV with a group of friends, he drank a beverage which had been mixed with drugs. And then he became an addict.

Xie said that his former appeal - that he had been using drugs to lose weight was "just an excuse".

During the program, Xie Dong vowed to attend an anti-drug rally on June 26, the day of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking. He hopes he can do his bit for the anti-drug campaign and to make amends for his misguided behavior.

(CRI.cn June 21, 2007)