The Drug Addiction Treatment System in China: Promises and Controversies

This paper provides an overview of the drug addiction treatment system in China, including its history, underlying principles, structure, and operations. The system consists of three key components: voluntary drug treatment, community-based treatment, and compulsory isolated treatment, with the last one as the most predominant form of treatment assigned to drug users with a heightened risk for antisocial behavior. The system adopts the model of actuarial justice and uses risk assessment to categorize drug users for effective management and control. The main objectives of the treatment programs are to maintain social order and promote social stability by subjecting drug users to continuous supervision and monitoring. With the exceptions of several developed regions, the governments throughout the country have not been able to provide adequate treatment services that meet drug users’ needs for community reintegration. However, despite the challenges it faces, the system has demonstrated the potential of addressing serious problems related to drug addiction.