During a police raid in the wee hours of January 9, famed Chinese film director Zhang Yuan and an artist friend of his were caught using drugs at his home, resulting in an arrest and detention.

Zhang has won many international film awards, including the best director title at the 56th Venice Film Festival for the film Seventeen Years, a family drama of hate, crime and reconciliation.

Before the search of Zhang's home, Beijing police had also raided Keypoint & Cinerent Studio, where they arrested cinematographer Xie Zhengyu and Wu Gang. Wu, also known as Wu Lala, has done the sound work for a number of well-known Chinese films including Beijing Bastards.

The news spread quickly with television footage of the police raiding Zhang's home circulating on the Internet and soon the issue of celebrities' taking drugs aroused a heated debate.

According to people close to Zhang, the director has used drugs for a long time and his arrest was inevitable.

It was reported that Zhang has a strong drug addiction and has tried a wide variety of drugs. The director is said to take inspiration from drugs. Xiao Ju, or Little Daisy, the name of the leading female role in Zhang's reputed film I Love You, which starred talented Chinese actress Xu Jinglei, is the name of one of Zhang's favorite drugs. Green Tea, another of Zhang's films, is allegedly what Zhang used to filter "ice," a street name for crystal methamphetamine hydrochloride, which is a powerful, synthetic stimulant drug.

Zhang's case is not alone within the entertainment business. On May 26, 2007 well-known Chinese pop singer Xie Dong was arrested at his home on drugs charges.

Xie, 44, was found taking ecstasy and ice with his girlfriend when the police burst into his apartment. The singer admitted to the police that he had been addicted to drugs for two years.

In 1997, Luo Qi, hailed as the number one female rock singer in China, was admitted to a rehab center for three months. In the same year, Zhu Jie, a promising young actress who had acted as a drug addict in a film, died from a drug overdose at the age of 28.

"There are many instances of drug abuse in show business. Some young people, for instance, naively believe drugs will make them unique and artistic," said Liu Huan, a well-known pop singer.

According to Lin Xi, a pub singer in Beijing who is close to many celebrities, pressure and spiritual emptiness drives many entertainers to the arms of the drugs for relief and stimulation. Drug dealers also target pop stars because they have no difficulty in finding the money to buy the drugs.

Shi Jianchun, Deputy-Director of Beijing Anti-Drug Education Base, said that celebrities involved in drug abuse have a negative impact on society since they have many admirers, especially among young people, who they set a bad example for.

Police data show that the number of drug takers in China grew 35 percent between 2000 and the start of 2005 to 1.16 million. The number dropped to 720,400 in August of 2006 as a result of compulsory rehabilitation measures and strict checks on chemicals and narcotics, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

On an Internet survey on the issue of celebrity drug scandals by one of China's portals Sohu.com, more than 70 percent of the respondents said that it was a degenerating thing for celebrities to take drugs while less than one third held that it was normal and understandable.

In the past, China was reluctant to expose drug-abuse cases involving celebrities to the public. Now the media has begun exposing these scandals, a fact that plays a role in forcing celebrities to reconsider their behavior, said Shi.

In 2007 when several celebrity-drug-related scandals broke out, China's National Narcotics Control Commission (CNNCC) called on celebrities from the entertainment industry to show self-discipline and to play a positive role in fighting against drug abuse.

Zhang's case not only serves as a reminder for celebrities to keep away from drugs, but also shows the government's new approach and determination to fight drug abuse, according to Shi. CNNCC said it had invited seven leading figures in show business to be anti-drug ambassadors.

Rock singer Luo Qi, who was once involved in a drugs scandal, has now become an anti-drug ambassador and is helping to educate the public about the harm caused by narcotics abuse.

After Zhang's arrest, the famed singer Liu Huan, also an anti-drug advocate, called for celebrities to keep away from drugs, be a disciplined citizen and to set a good example for the public.