Governments at all levels, along with the drug control departments, launched campaigns to publicize the dangers of drug abuse and carried out drug prevention educational campaigns in the media--newspapers, radio and television--to persuade the public to reject drugs.

As part of the program, the Chinese Government will spend $120 million over five years to support the drug control infrastructure, as well as $12 million for Yunnan Province, which borders Southeast Asia's "golden triangle," and $60 million to support local anti-drug efforts across the country.

The public's participation has greatly improved the drug control effort, especially since the law enforcement departments in 10 provinces and municipalities adopted a reward mechanism encouraging the public to provide information to the police.

"Public information has become one of the most important ways for facilitating the crackdown of illegal drug cases," Fu said.

Assistance from the public contributed to the cracking of 968 illegal drug cases with a total of 1,104 people arrested in the first seven months of 2006, according to the figures from the Ministry of Public Security. These cases have led to the seizure of 1,273.8 kg of drugs and 7 million yuan in illegal funds.

Including Beijing, Shanghai and Yunnan, 10 provinces and municipalities have established a pilot reward system, and the police have so far given more than 600,000 yuan to members of the public for information on drug crimes, according to the ministry.

In Yunnan Province, one of the areas most severely affected by drug trafficking in the country, police investigated 694 cases with the help of the public from January to August, seizing 1,008 kg of drugs.

In addition, community-based anti-drug activities, such as the establishment of "drug-free communities" and "civilized communities," have attracted broad participation, which sets a favorable base for the whole drug control program.

Targeting drug abuse in public places, drugs inspections will be enhanced in Beijing, said Zhao of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau. Drug-sniffing dogs will patrol more in the main drug-trafficking channels to Beijing and in locations where drug dealers often show up.

More humane rehabilitation

In addition to combating drug trafficking, the authorities are focusing on controlling drug use through improved rehabilitation methods. Ranging from the traditional forced treatment to borrowing examples from the United States' efforts, China is exploring new ways to help addicts eliminate their habit in a more humane way.

Located in Ankang Hospital in southern Beijing, the Sunflower Community is testing a new residential rehabilitation method. Every drug addict here is a resident, and he is supposed to transform himself from a lower level resident to a higher level. If he violates regulations, he will be demoted.

The different levels are based on an individual resident's work ability and contribution to the community, and determine whether the resident enjoys certain privileges: making a phone call, receiving visits from family or friends, going outside the facility or even participating in community management, according to Wang Zhiqiang, a therapist with the Sunflower Community.

"We want our community to give the addicts who are undergoing rehabilitation a sense of being home, letting them do their own jobs and manage themselves. Here in the community, the medical team, the policemen and drug addicts are like equal family members," noted Wang.

The community now has 28 residents, including a 26-year-old addict surnamed Deng who has taken drugs for eight years and had undergone several rehabilitation efforts. "When we were in the rehab center, they just fed us medicines and released us after the drug detoxification. But here is different, they are also healing our mental weakness," said Deng.

The community has adopted theories of psychology, behavioral science and sociology to advocate responsibility and care among the residents and give them hope of a new life, said Cui Xinhua, Deputy Director of the Rehabilitation Center under Ankang Hospital.

Humane treatment is the guideline of China's drug rehabilitation work that Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao emphasized when he inspected a compulsory drug rehabilitation center in Wuhan last June. "The human-oriented spirit should be implemented in every corner," he said.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Public Security, China has 583 compulsory rehabilitation centers, 165 labor camp rehabilitation centers and 247 voluntary drug rehabilitation units. Currently, traditional compulsory rehabilitation still dominates the drug rehabilitation scene in China.

But things are changing. Being the largest compulsory drug rehabilitation center in Asia, the Kunming Center for Detoxification and Rehabilitation in Yunnan Province, which was established in 1989, has overturned the traditional images of rehabilitation centers, such as iron bars, electric fences and steep walls, with more humane ones like green grass and white pigeons. In addition, the center has a well-equipped visiting room and takes initiatives to contact the family members of drug addicts to let them provide more comfort and encouragement to drug users.