A guideline for national anti-narcotics work was made public on Sunday stating that China will be encouraging voluntary drug rehabilitation and will establish a social service network for drug addicts.

Spearheaded by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council, said guideline envisions the number of Chinese drug users should multiply in a slower rate by the year 2020.

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According to the guidelines, upon reaching the target year, there will be a more efficient drug rehabilitation system set up for China stressing that the anti-narcotics work is a "national strategy."

Included in the guidelines are steps in inspiring voluntary rehabilitation such as offering rehabilitation services in community facilities, regulating required and quarantined drug rehab, and making medicines necessary for recovery more available. Voluntary drug rehab patients will also be offered aid in looking for jobs after passing recovery status checks in the centers.

According to Ministry of Public Security Anti-Drug Chief Liu Yuejin, the national anti-narcotics work guideline, as the first of its kind to be initiated by the CPC and the Cabinet came at a timely manner when the international community faces rampant illegal drug abuse problems.

The guidelines also urge the private sector to invest in undertaking illegal drugs, calls on a number of social workers and volunteers and encouraging tipping off of drug-related crimes through a reward system.

Likewise, penalties for production and sales of illegal narcotics both overseas and domestically will be strengthened.

Statistics show that China currently has a drug-using population of 2.8 million, where almost 40,000 were convicted for drug offenses during the initial five months of 2014.

Tagsdrug rehab, CPC