Thursday, February 23, 2006
Berliner Zeitung
Encouraging news of ambitious targets for methadone maintenance and needle exchange services have been welcome indications of a fundamental change in China's approach to opiate addiction. But there's a gloomier side also making news...
Translated from the German article that appeared in the Berliner Zeitung on Feb. 21, 2006.
China's government wants to solve the drug problem by locking users up in labor camps; The call is for toughness."
Withdrawal is cold turkey - and three doses of a Chinese herbal drink; methadone is said to be too expensive. Following "spiritual cleansing" comes months of labor in the fields. One camp superintendent claims to "have cured 70,000 drug addicts in 11 years," but most authorities admit that 85% of dischargees relapse within one year. Perhaps because of this grim outcome, investigations with governmental support are under way to ablate (kill!) certain areas of the brain. "Hole in the head" procedures have been used on over 500 patients between 2000 and 2004 - Most paying close to $3,500(US).
The article (in German) available online