China faces 'grave situation' anti-drug battle

Minister of Justice Wu Aiying said on Tuesday that China faces a "grave situation" in its battle against drug abuse.

Minister of Justice Wu Aiying said on Oct. 11 that China faces a "grave situation" in its battle against drug abuse. In this file photo taken in September 2011, a drug addict is transferred to the judicial authorities' rehabilitation center in Yueyang, Hunan Province.

The increased mobility of the population and the Internet have made drugs produced overseas more accessible to Chinese addicts, and judicial personnel have dealt with increased risks in helping addicts break their habits, according to the minister.

Judicial authorities have set up more than 220 rehabilitation centers across China and treated more than 230,000 drug users in the centers since their establishment.

The centers are exploring ways to help drug addicts break their habits, recover from psychological or mental problems and better integrate themselves back into society, said Chen Xunqiu, vice minister of justice.

In addition to treating addiction, the centers offer psychological consultation and vocational training to patients, according to the ministry.

Altogether, these centers have about 7,000 beds, 202 doctors and 141 psychologists, with about 5,000 substance abuse patients currently receiving treatment.

The number of registered Chinese drug users neared 1.44 million as of June this year, according to statistics from the Ministry of Public Security.

Under China's anti-drug regulations, drug addicts are transferred to the judicial authorities' rehabilitation centers after undergoing three to six months of compulsive rehabilitation by public security authorities.