Compulsory detoxification is a major challenge to harm reduction in China

摘要

Reid and Aitken (2008) are right to applaud the increasing acceptance and implementation of harm reduction in China. They have provided a useful analysis of challenges that have to be overcome to strengthen harm reduction in that country. However, greater attention must be given to the effect of China's policy of compulsory detoxification on harm reduction. Despite the recent impressive expansion of needle and syringe programs (NSP) and methadone maintenance treatment (MMT), compulsory detoxification and treatment in detention centres remains a widespread response to illicit drug use in China. A person who uses drugs can be detained at the discretion of public security officials in a detoxification and rehabilitation centre (DRC) for up to 1 year (Information Office of the People's Republic of China, 2000). In 2006, 95,000 people were detained in 700 DRC across China (Swanstrom & He, 2006); by comparison, in March 2007, 51,000 people had been treated in MMT clinics, with 36,000 currently in MMT (Liu et al., 2008).