Guizhou Makes Significant Achievements in Community-based Drug Treatment & Rehabilitation Pattern
The way to facilitate “Sunshine Project” under challenges (4)

“Sunshine Project” is a kind of social system engineering. A management team is organized among the drug control, public security, justice, health care, human resources and social security and civil administration agencies of the district to designate personnel to participate in enterprise’s administration affairs and security management. Each year, Yunyan’s government revenue will allocate 2 million Yuan to set up Sunshine Project Foundation, 1 million Yuan to set up Sunshine Rewards Foundation, 100,000 to 300,000 Yuan as subsidies to sunshine enterprises, and will reduce or exempt the business income tax of engaged entities. Workers receiving methadone maintenance treatment are accessible to free methadone every day, five kinds of social insurances, housing fund and subsistence allowances.

Yang Yi (alias) is a team leader of Yunyan Sunshine Electronics Processing Plant. He used to be a long-distance truck driver and got addicted to drugs during his driving to Yunnan. His life fell into a total mess after that. He didn’t get rid of drugs after three times of compulsory rehabilitation. He was kicked out of home by his parents who felt infinite grief after he spent all their money they had on taking drugs. Later, he was arrested for committing robbery. He was determined to learn from the bitter experience when he was released 6 years later. Then he truly has gained a desired life of dignity after he took the job in the plant as guided by the community police. In the beginning he lived in the plant, while his parents asked him to go home as they saw his essential change. His sister, who hadn’t contacted with him also tended to introduce girlfriend to him. “I’ve no idea about what I would be alike without the ‘Sunshine Project’. Now I’ve stopped taking methadone. I believe that I can make it completely!” he said emotionally.

There are more and more people who have got a new start as Yang Yi does in this plant.
Dean of Guizhou Academy of Social Sciences Wu Dahua has been tracking the implementation of the “Sunshine Project”. He said that “this project is a banner for China in strengthening and creating anti-drug social administration, and provides valuable experience in innovation of social administration as its win-win effect for all relevant sides, the rehabilitated, the sunshine enterprises, the Party committee, government and the society. Quite a certain part of latent risks will be eradicated for achieving a harmonious society by better arranging the rehabilitated and ensuring their physical detoxification as well as integrated mental and physical health.”

Outstanding accomplishment has been achieved in the implementation of the “Sunshine Project" just over a year as Wu expected: the relapse rate dropped down from 25.27 percent to 3.76 percent; the recidivism rate decreased to 1.86 percent from 8.8 percent; the control rate over drug users increased to 73.69 percent ranking No.3 nationwide; the increment of new drug users found in Guizhou is 8.03 percent, 2.4 percentage lower than the national average; meanwhile, the infection of AIDS due to sharing needling instruments was also curbed by virtue of methadone treatment…