NCJ Number
181313
Journal
Journal of Drug Education Volume: 29 Issue: 2 Dated: 1999 Pages: 97-114
Date Published
1999
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article provides an initial evaluation of the community camp approach to drug detoxification and rehabilitation in China.
Abstract
Since the 1980's, China has experienced major changes in its traditional drug use patterns, which included mostly tobacco and alcohol use. The introduction of opium, marijuana, heroin, and cocaine is the most noticeable change. During the 1990 Strictly Against Illegal Drug Campaign the Chinese government implemented a compulsory detoxification plan and a Community Drug Rehabilitation Camp strategy to deal with the diverse aspects of controlling illegal drugs. Open-ended interviews with two samples of persons from two government-sponsored rehabilitation community camps in 1994 revealed that: (1) The social and cultural reorientation of drug addicts was facilitated by intensive mass media propaganda; (2) There is a mobilization of the health care and social security systems to provide detoxification, rehabilitation, and employment to drug addicts in a relatively short period of time; (3) Recidivist addicts and drug traffickers are condemned to long-term incarceration in work camps; (4) In the two camps, an average of 12 months’ training yielded a rehabilitation rate of 80 percent; and (5) The camp strategy has some problems, e.g., it has some of the compulsory and legal pressure characteristics of boot camps in other Asian regions. Tables, references