Anti-drugs campaign have been launched jointly by 10,000 Chinese recreation venues in seven Chinese cities Sunday, with company managers and common people signatured to combat drug in each respective city.

The seven cities comprise Beijing, Dalian, Qingdao, Guangzhou, Harbin, Wuhan and Urumqi, said Zhang Xinfeng, deputy director of the National Narcotics Control Commission at the launching ceremony in Beijing.

Zhang, also vice minister of public security, said China has seen a surge of such new kinds of narcotics as methamphetamines, and an increase of drug users, especially in recreation venues like KTV (karaoke and music TV) clubs.

At the launching ceremony in Beijing, representatives of the recreation venue owners promise to fight against drug with self-discipline, and not to permit any drug-related activities in their venues. They will also give publicity of the harms done by drug so as to help create a sound and healthy environment for common people.

According to Zhang, China has been hard on anti-doping over the past decade and enacted an anti-doping law in March last year. In April this year, a nationwide "people's war" against drugs was launched, during which local public security bureaus and cultural, industrial and commercial departments stepped up their crackdown on drug taking and trafficking in entertainment places.

From this April to July, China had seized 2,182.3 kg of "ice" drug or "methamphetamines" from April to July, up 9.5 percent over the same period last year, according to MOPS statistics this September.

Zhang disclosed that a law implementation team of relevant government administration officials has been formed to make probe and inspection into recreation venues. Working staffers with recreation venue found guilty in drug-related activities will be given severe penalty. Officials in charge of recreation venue supervision who have not fulfill their duty will also receive due penalty.

(Xinhua News Agency October 17, 2005)