The finds were published ahead of press in PLoS Medicine

Dec 10, 2008 00:01 GMT  ·  By
Chinese policemen often abuse their authority in dealing with presumed drug users
   Chinese policemen often abuse their authority in dealing with presumed drug users

Although China was only recently commended for showing a more liberal approach to the spread of AIDS and of drug usage, it would appear that the praises came too soon, as a new report, published in the open-access journal PLoS Medicine, revealed that drug addicts were subjected to inhumane treatments by authorities and personnel at detox centers.

”If an inmate is very sick we take him to the hospital. If he doesn’t have enough money the hospital won’t accept him. What happens to the inmate at that point is not our responsibility,” says one doctor from a detox center, speaking under the condition of anonymity, about the way people who are admitted in health institutions are treated. The large number of drug addicts in Chinese health care facilities is due to a National People’s War on Illicit Drugs, a campaign that started in 2005, and whose goal is to get everyone on the lookout for drug users.

Chinese police were also reported to raid pharmacies and methadone shops, as part of their search efforts, so not even addicts trying to use clean needles were spared from detox centers, where conditions are below all standards. The current study, led by Elizabeth Cohen and Joseph Amon from the organization Human Rights Watch, interviewed 19 anonymous drug users and asked them questions about the way the authorities behave when dealing with them.

The study concluded that the detainees in the clinics were not regularly checked for health signs. In fact, they were most of the time ignored and deprived of access to even the most basic information related to their own health. One of the informants said that guards wouldn't even tell them if they were infected with AIDS or not, claiming that “AIDS kills fairly slow, so there's no problem.”

“The failure of the Chinese government to ensure that drug users in detention receive effective treatment for drug dependency and have access to HIV prevention and treatment services while in detox or re-education through labor centers constitutes a serious risk to the right to life, and jeopardizes the success of China's HIV goals," the study concludes.