CURING OPIUM ADDICTS
How Chinese Treat Offenders ■&X
The rural hygiene conference at Bandoeng, held under the auspices of the Eastern Health Bureau of the League of Nations at Singapore, is a striking example of what is being done under Geneva auspices to icnprove conditions of living in the Orient. The antiopium work which is gong ahead in almost every Asiatie country gains much of its inspiration from the League Opium Committee. A Chinese medical practitioner, Dr. (jhan Su Lan, of Singapore, who has for many years specialised in publi^c anti-opium work, discussed some of the difficulties which face opium reformers at the present time. The number of opium addits, he said, was enormous, and greater than official statistics suggested. The fact that opium revenue formed so big a percentage of Malaya's ineome was One important obstacle in the way of further inrmediate reforms. "Another difficulty of carrying out anti-opium work in Malaya, ' he said, "is that opium smoking is legalised. In Ohina an opiurn addict is regarded
as a criminal. He may b6 allowed fo smoke for a year or two, but if he is young and robust he is made to give up the smoking habit by going to hospital or treatment. "If he is caught smoking opium a second time, he is given a second and last chance to'rid himself of the vice. If he is caught for the third'time, ha "s shot. That scheme has been carried out with some measure of success. "Other difficulties are in connection •ith popular beliefs about the evils of opium smoking, often based on Gov* ernment reports. "It is said, following one Government reports, that opium smoking, While harmful to other xaces, is harmless to the Chinese. That is untrue. The second popular belief is that opium smoking is ineurable. To a certain extent that belief is justified. " Dr. Chan said that new and im* proved methods of euring opium addi#§ tion were now available, and he citefc examples of complete cures afe th® anti-opium clinic in Singapor#,
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Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 67, 11 December 1937, Page 15
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338CURING OPIUM ADDICTS Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 67, 11 December 1937, Page 15
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