ignore china at your peril

Here’s a post for those interested in the big picture – where SBN will be in the second half of this year. It’s of little interest to those focused on day to day SP movements.

The other day, I wondered aloud when the penny will drop re China. Clearly, it hasn’t for most (judging by the current SP) but it will.

There was also no response to my post 2 days ago re all the relevant detail in the International Narcotics Control Board’s Annual Report. I thought this painted an amazing picture of the anti-drug environment in China that SBN is currently moving into the centre of. (Maybe that’s just all so bleeding obvious that it wasn’t worth responding to!)

I also recently posted a sequence of events that show pretty clearly why SBN is in China and just how BIG this opportunity is. Here is an expanded sequence based on some additional research I have done:

Apr 2005 – Chinese Central Government adopts five-year Anti-Drug Plan - to spend $120 million over five years to support the drug control infrastructure and $60 million to support local anti-drug efforts across the country

Dec 2006 – The Beijing Narcotics Control Commission sets a goal of eradicating drugs in all public places and promoting drug-free communities in time for the Olympics in 2008. (According to the International Drug Policy Consortium, this includes plans to round up a million drug users and place them in compulsory detoxification centres.)

6 Dec 2007 - Launch of a campaign dubbed "protect Olympics, stop drugs - 14,485 volunteers to promote anti-drug concepts to the public, carry out investigations in community compounds in the city, report suspects to the police authority, and help the drug users to beat their addiction.

6 Dec 2007 - Beijing mobilizes taxi drivers in anti-drug campaign (100,000 taxi drivers to participate in anti-drug campaigns - to report information of drug users or drug cases to the police - in an effort to build a drug-free environment for the Olympic Games.

12 Dec 2007 - SBN announces Oraline joint venture with Shanghai-based SiYi to manufacture and sell Oraline in China

29 Dec 2007 - China passes first anti-drugs law - to take affect on 1st June 2008

20 Jan 2008 - Beijing's Municipal Public Security Bureau announces that the agency is further strengthening their efforts to protect communities from drugs

28 Feb 2008 - SBN announces significant progress in SiYi alliance - testing proceeding in 15 cities and manufacturing facility selected (prior to completion of testing....interesting that!) with fit-out about to commence

3 March 2008 - China's first anti-drug radio program airs in Shanghai

1 June 2008 - China's first anti-drug law commences


Just 6 months to the Olympic Games!! The objectives and scope of the anti-drugs campaign are clear!! All appearances are that Oraline is in the mix in a big way – factory being set up, multi-city testing either finished or under way, police powers about to increase. SURELY THE PICTURE IS GETTING CLEARER.


Those wanting more information on the background to this sequence of events can find them below – along with web links.

April 2005 – Five Year Anti Drug Plan Adopted

The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held a meeting to discuss an anti-drug policy. President Hu Jintao chaired the meeting and called for a people’s war against drugs.

The State Council subsequently released a five-year anti-drug plan. To spend $120 million over five years to support the drug control infrastructure and $60 million to support local anti-drug efforts across the country.
Since then, greater efforts in fighting drugs have been evident in China, with more integrated law enforcement, more comprehensive public drug awareness campaigns, more flexible treatment and rehabilitation measures, and more productive international cooperation.

April 2005 – Dec 2006

Governments at all levels, along with the drug control departments, launched campaigns to publicize the dangers of drug abuse and carried out drug prevention educational campaigns in the media—newspapers, radio and television—to persuade the public to reject drugs.

The public’s participation has greatly improved the drug control effort, especially since the law enforcement departments in 10 provinces and municipalities adopted a reward mechanism encouraging the public to provide information to the police.

Public information has become one of the most important ways for facilitating the crackdown of illegal drug cases, Fu said.

Assistance from the public contributed to the cracking of 968 illegal drug cases with a total of 1,104 people arrested in the first seven months of 2006, according to the figures from the Ministry of Public Security. These cases have led to the seizure of 1,273.8 kg of drugs and 7 million yuan in illegal funds.

Dec 2006 – Dec 2007

“After a six-month crackdown on drug-related crimes in the city’s entertainment venues, the Beijing Narcotics Control Commission declared in late December that it had cleared up 1,300 sites.

The commission also said Beijing has set a goal of eradicating drugs in all public places and promoting drug-free communities in time for the Olympics in 2008.
Fu Zhenghua, Deputy Director of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, said that “This is a hard-earned success for such a large metropolis like Beijing, and we are very proud,” Fu said.

“But this is just a preliminary success in the campaign against drugs. We hope to clear up all the city’s public places by 2008,” he added.

Fu Zhenghua also proposed extending detention terms from six months to one year in an attempt to 'compel drug users to give up their addictions before the Olympics'.

Targeting drug abuse in public places, drugs inspections will be enhanced in Beijing, said Zhao of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau. Drug-sniffing dogs will patrol more in the main drug-trafficking channels to Beijing and in locations where drug dealers often show up.

“We also introduced a tip-off system for the public to use, a blacklist for the entertainment venues and an appraisal system for policemen,” Zhao said. The police encourage people to report cases of drug use and people who report actual cases will be amply rewarded, he added.

Entertainment venues where drugs are taken or sold will be blacklisted and exposed through the media, he said. People caught taking drugs or otherwise connected to drug use will not be allowed to operate or work in entertainment venues. Besides applying stricter oversight to entertainment venues, police will also be reprimanded if they fail to stamp out drug-related crime within their precincts.

To strengthen the drug control effects, the police also design training courses for the managers and owners of the city’s 1,300 entertainment venues. The courses discuss the harm of drug use, how to identify drug-related behavior and how to report such activity to the police.

According to Zhao, every entertainment venue will have a drug control publicity agent who is selected from its staff. These agents will receive 15 days of training by the police and they are responsible for reporting to the police in real time if they find evidence of drug use or paraphernalia.

“Entertainment venues have become the seedbed for drug abuse, so it remains a main task for us to control the drugs in these places in the future,” said Fu of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau.

http://dailymailnews.com/200702/03/dmcolumnpage.html

http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?lang=e&id=ENGASA170242007


Dec 2007 – Mar 2007

6 Dec 2007 - Beijing mobilizes taxi drivers in anti-drug campaign http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/olympics/2007-12/06/content_6303018.htm

BEIJING -- Beijing on Wednesday called on taxi drivers to participate in anti-drug campaigns in an effort to build a drug-free environment for the Olympic Games next year.
The municipal drug control committee sent text messages to all of its licensed 100,000 taxi drivers, encouraging them to report information of drug users or drug cases to the police.

Taxi drivers have more opportunities to meet drug users than ordinary people, we can greatly expand anti-drug scope and improve efficiency with their help, said Che Kejian, an officer with the drug control department of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau.

Officials also gave out brochures and magazines to taxi drivers at the airport, railway station and a business street in central Beijing, promoting the significance of the anti-drug campaign.

All the city's 67,000 cabs in service will be equipped with such materials soon, according to an agreement reached between the drug control committee and the taxi association.

Taxi drivers who offers vital clue of a drug case will get at least 2,000 yuan (270 U.S. dollars) in reward, according to the agreement.

Wednesday's activities mark the launching of a campaign dubbed "protect Olympics, stop drugs", which calls upon some 14,485 volunteers to promote anti-drug concepts to the public, carry out investigations in community compounds in the city, report suspects to the police authority, and help the drug users to beat their addiction.
Beijing started to recruit anti-drug volunteers in 2006. So far, the 14,485 volunteers from all walks of life are working in 30 teams, covering almost every residential area in the city.

Beijing has established a comprehensive network involving volunteers, households, community compounds, and work places to help drug addicts quit drugs.

17 Dec 2007 - Beijing to beef up anti-drug fight ahead of Olympics http://www.china.org.cn/health/2007-12/17/content_1235948.htm

Police in Beijing will strengthen efforts to fight against drug deals next year to make sure that no dangerous goods or drugs will flow into the capital. This is to ensure that Beijing will have a drug-free Olympics next year, said Fu Zhenghua, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Anti-Drug Committee, also deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, last week.

Beijing police will put special efforts into the fight against drug deals in public places. They have eradicated three main drug transaction markets in Beijing, one in Wanzi in Xuanwu District, one in Wanquansi in Fengtai District and one in Ganjiakou in Haidian District. Moreover, the public order in eight places involved in drug deals has become better, Fu said.

The underground drug selling market has been handled effectively. Now, the drug market has had to transfer to outer suburbs, holiday resorts, or clubs, and it has become smaller and therefore drug addicts find it harder to buy drugs in large amounts nowadays, Fu noted.

For the 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing police have outlined a goal that no drugs will be found in entertainment places, in public places or in community centers. In order to realize these goals, police in Beijing will face a tougher task next year. To make sure that no drugs will flow into Beijing from the Golden Crescent area, Beijing police will set up a professional work team to crack down on drug deals and train more sniffer dogs and equip themselves with better drug-detecting devices. Police will set up a scheme to reward those who report drug deals to police or help police in fighting against drug trafficking.

(Chinanews.com December 17, 2007)

20 Jan 2008 - Beijing Trying Best to Ensure Safe Olympic Games http://english.cri.cn/2946/2008/01/20/[email protected]
Beijing, the 2008 Olympic host, has been sparing no effort in cracking down on crime to ensure a sound and safe social environment for the Olympic Games, according to Ma Zhenchuan, head of Beijing's Municipal Public Security Bureau.

Terror attacks often target Olympics," said the official, who also heads the Beijing Olympic Security Headquarters, in a recent speech, "The city has launched a program called 'Action for a Safe Olympiad' as the 2008 Olympic Games approaches.

Ma compared crimes to a sand heap. "The smaller the base is, the smaller the heap is. The 2008 Games are safe only when its host is safe," he stressed.

From January to May, Beijing police forces are beefing up security for the Olympiad to crack down on organized crime, robbery, murder and other severe criminal offences, collect illegally-held explosives, guns and ammunition, and strengthen control over knives, bows and crossbows.

The police are also stepping up surveillance on entertainment venues to fight pornography and gambling. It will remove safety hazards within 200 meters around Olympic venues while strengthening security control in the surrounding areas.

According to Che, police successfully eradicated drugs at entertainment venues in 2006 and closed three underground markets last year. Currently, the police are further strengthening their efforts to protect communities from drugs.

3 Mar 2008 - China's first anti-drug radio program airs in Shanghai

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/03/content_7710578.htm


SHANGHAI, March 3 (Xinhua) -- China's first anti-drug radio program, Anti-Drug Pioneer, aired for the first time here on Sunday.

The hourly program is to run weekly on Shanghai East Radio.

It is being co-sponsored by the Shanghai Media Group and Shanghai Anti-Drug Committee.

Lin Huabin, deputy director of the Shanghai Anti-Drug Committee, was invited as a guest co-anchor to join the premiere.

Meanwhile, an increasing number of Chinese celebrities have been involved in drug scandals, with the latest case being singer Xie Dong. Xie, who became an anti-drug volunteer after being detained for drug abuse one year ago, was detained on Sunday for the same reason.

The 45-year-old singer and his girlfriend were taken into custody for 10 days over the weekend after testing positive for met amphetamines.

Less than two months ago, Zhang Yuan, one of China's most popular directors, was arrested on drug charges.

China adopted its first anti-drug law in December in a bid to curb drug-related crimes and reduce the growing number of users, especially under-aged addicts. The law will take effect on June 12008.

It is estimated that China has more than 700,000 heroin addicts, of whom 69 percent are under 35.


5 Mar 2008 – International Drug Policy Consortium critique of the International Narcotics Control Board’s Annual Report

A quote from the critique:

Chinese officials, in the run-up to the Olympic Games 2008, announced plans to round up a million drug users and place them in compulsory detoxification centres (page 5)

http://idpc.info/php-bin/documents/IDPC_Response2INCB_AnnRpt07_EN.pdf