Testing It Up

China has been facing a critical eye from Western society after the execution of a British citizen just before the holidays and with the most recent information about its compulsory drug rehabilitation programs the critical eye is unlikely to shift. In China convicted drug users are required to complete at least 2 years in their drug rehab program, a span of time that is filled with forced labor, physical abuse and no drug treatment according to many who’ve completed the program many of whom say they are haunted by the experience.

As many as a half million Chinese citizens are held at these centers at any given time according to the United Nations. Trials, judges and appeals are extravagances that play no part in the way these police planned detention centers are run. Such centers are the country’s answer for serious drug issues that arose in the country in recent years are said to be little more than penal colonies where inmates are sent to factories and farms, denied basic medical care and fed substandard food . None of this suits the ideal situation for people trying to recover from addiction and can only cause further harm where substance abuse and other problems already have a foothold.

The information on these programs only becomes worse for those with existing medical conditions like AIDS and TB who are openly denied medical care. Reports of beatings and the use of cattle prods are also common. Drug users also deal with the stigma of their addiction in their daily lives as their national identification cards state this addiction, which makes applying for jobs and welfare benefits acts of futility. traveling often involves impromptu urine drug tests and the possibility of humiliation in front of colleagues as local police are made aware when such a user has checked into an area hotel.

Some officials in the country claim that this is what a transitional program looks like, citing the many needle exchanges and methadone clinics that have also come with the new program. Only time will tell if these programs will make changes that are targeted toward recovery over punishment.

According to government reports Australia is dealing with children as young as ten reporting for rehabilitation. These pre-teens are seeking rehabilitation for addiction to substances like alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines and heroin and the numbers say that such occurrences are becoming more common. While there are a wide variety of reasons such treatment is sought out most of those seeking treatment are dealing with alcohol problems. At a rate of roughly 44% (up from 38% in 2002/2003) alcohol poses a larger problem for young teens and pre-teens more and more each year.

While it’s not totally unheard of for pre-teens this age to seek treatment from time to time the increase is definitely worth watching since it’s been on the rise over the last few years along with drug abuse (which while remaining lower than alcohol has had a bit more users as well) This increase comes after a steady five year declining period and accounts for about 700 more substance abusers seeking treatment recently. Heroine, while nowhere near as highly available or used as it was during the heroin heavy 90s is making a comeback in the country as well. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s study shows that there is a clear need for some sort of substance abuse management in this age group.

A new version of the common pain relief drug made by Purdue Pharma LP has been made and is being considered by the FDA. The newer Oxycotin is being touted as a much harder pill than in previous versions (it has a coating with a plastic quality) thereby making it much harder to crush for snorting or injecting with the purpose drug abuse .

Awaiting approval by the FDA (they want the company to prove the drugs ability to better withstand tampering) the drug has been in the testing phase since going before an advisory board to the FDA last year.

Oxycotin was made to offer pain relief over the course of a 12 hour period for those in severe pain. Not long after its release in 1996 however, it was being abused to achieve a high like that produced by the illegal drug heroin and the abuse of the drug has persisted ever since. Problems like these have prompted the FDA to try making programs that warn against the abuse to no effect. As a result they’ve begun to encourage drug makers to help remedy the problem by producing drugs that are harder to tamper with.