Justice Minister attends drug forum in Yunnan

Minister of Justice Fu Zhenghua called on deeper international cooperation in drug rehabilitation during a forum on addiction treatment held in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan province, a major front in the country's battle against drug abuse.

The two-day event, which started Wednesday, marks the first time that the Ministry of Justice have held an international forum on drug rehabilitation.

About 100 professionals and officials from 14 countries and regions attended the event to discuss new technologies and methods in detoxification.

There were 14 keynote speeches from global drug addiction treatment professionals, and participants visited two compulsory drug detoxification centers in Kunming.

"Drug rehabilitation is a common topic all over the world. The event provides a platform for exchanges of the latest research results and successful experiences in detox," Fu said.

"In the face of the severe situation of drug abuse, we should guide drug rehabilitation institutions of countries to establish closer cooperation and constantly innovate the concept of detox work," he said.

Fu said that China has launched partnerships with countries including Japan, the United Kingdom and France, and he said he hopes the forum helps promote more exchanges between governments.

China's drug rehabilitation system includes compulsory treatment in isolated facilities and community drug rehabilitation.

Those who undergo compulsory treatment in isolated facilities are assessed as seriously addicted to drugs and unsuitable for rehabilitation in the community. They are subjected to treatment in closed facilities for two years.

By the end of last year, China had 370 compulsory drug detoxification centers, which have treated over 1.4 million addicts, according to the ministry.