Looking for a solution for drug addiction in China: exploring the challenges and opportunities in the way of China's new Drug Control Law.

In the wake of the deteriorating situation of drug addiction and related infectious diseases among injecting drug users (IDUs) in China in recent years, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China adopted the new Drug Control Law which came into force in June 1, 2008. This law is part of a broad reform movement in China where drug addiction is no longer understood as simply a legal or moral issue but rather, as a complicated medical condition requiring comprehensive therapeutic strategies. Although the Drug Control Law draws a distinct line from previous Drug Control regulations in the country, there have still been dilemmas along the implementation process. This paper is intended to elaborate on the general principles of China's latest Drug Control Law from the point of view of scholars who are involved in the field of drug addiction research and treatment in China. This paper will also discuss the challenges we are currently facing, based on the observations and practical experiences the authors have obtained in China. It is hoped that by addressing these issues, we will be able to implement the new Drug Control Law more successfully and ensure that we deal more effectively with drug addiction in China. Copyright 2009. Published by Elsevier B.V.