This is a paper I wrote for my Selected Populations class at Everest.

1. ASIAN & ADDICTED
By SueAnn Land
As an Assignment for Selected Populations
Instructor: Stephanie Kehoe
How the EastViews Addiction

2. Introduction
 How does the Chinese culture view addiction?
 What are the needs of the Asian population in
Canada with regard to addiction?
 What are the prevention and treatment
strategies?
 Are there community resources available for
Chinese addicts?

3. HowdoestheChinesecultureviewaddiction?
 The earliest record of opium use is from 700 A.D. – medicinal
use.
 In 1760 the British introduced mixing tobacco and opium
together to the Chinese and addiction began
 The First OpiumWar was from 1839 to 1842.
 The Second OpiumWar was from 1856 – 1860
 The OpiumWars began in China what was known as the
“Century of Humiliation.”
 1949 marked the beginning of the Peoples’ Republic of
China, instituted by Chairman Mao Zedong. China chose
communism because they felt it would protect their people
against the onslaught of imported drugs.

4. WhataretheneedsoftheAsianpopulationin
Canadawithregardtoaddiction?
Population Size A Language Barrier
 Canadians with a Chinese
heritage make up the
largest non-European
ethnic origin in Canada.
They are the 5th largest of
any ethnicity in Canada
other than English or
French
 Outreach workers and
social service personnel do
not speak either Cantonese
or Mandarin.
Shame-Based Culture
 Drug users “may suffer a
double stigma of personal
failure and a disgrace to
the ethnic community.”

5. AVancouver outreach worker
namedTuan Luu was
interviewed in 2008 and he
reported that, “There were
some people [the ASIA drug
outreach team] connected with
on the street who hadn’t talked
to anybody in weeks because
they didn’t know anybody who
spoke their language.
You probably can’t even imagine how limited their
knowledge of resources is,” he said.

6. In China -- abuses have led to the death of
detainees in some cases, according to
former detainees interviewed by Human
RightsWatch.The law also adds an
undefined “community-based
rehabilitation” period of up to four
years, effectively permitting incarceration
without trial for up to seven years.
Addicts dishonour “not only
their immediate family but
their entire lineage.”

7. From my research, I gathered that the problem in Canada with drug addiction and
Chinese is not as great with addiction, internally, as with exporting product back into
China. There is a huge demand in China for methamphetamine (known as “bingdu”),
MDMA (ecstasy) and ketamine. “These synthetic drugs are mostly used by youths –
nearly 70% of users are under 35 – who are trying hard drugs for the first time. Many
start with methamphetamines then turn to ecstasy and ketamine – drugs once
reserved to the rich customers of Hong Kong clubs and that are now making strides
to mainland China.
From Narconon International: “Canada has a strong global position in the
methamphetamine production and export trade. Little of its product crosses the
border in the U.S. as Mexican drug trafficking organizations generally control that
market. However, the large Asian population in Canada means tight networks from
Canada to points in Asia and Pacific regions.Through family or business
connections, much of Canada's meth makes its way across the Pacific to Japan or
Australia.The demand for methamphetamine in the Asia-Pacific region is at an all-
time high, meaning that there is plenty of demand for the methamphetamine that
can be produced in Canada.
WHICH CAME FIRST –THE CART ORTHE HORSE?

8. Whatarepreventionandtreatmentstrategies?
 Good news! Acupuncture is
available for addiction.
 Acupuncture helps addicts
whoseYin is insufficient to
balance the corresponding
Yang power.
 Yin is water andYang is
fire...leaving addicts burning
with cravings when the water
cannot balance the fire.
 This treatment was so
successful it replaced
Methadone in several clinics in
the Bronx, NY.

9. Nowforthebadnews...
 The treatment available in China
(other than execution) is called “brain
ablation.”
 There are holes drilled into the skulls
of patients and long electrodes are
inserted and descended into the
brain’s nucleus accumbens, also
known as the pleasure centre of the
brain. Then electrical currents are
conducted through the rods and they
kill the brain cells of the nucleus
accumbens. The surgery is
performed while the patients are
awake.

10. Aretherecommunityresourcesavailablefor
Chineseaddicts?
 In the larger, Metropolitan areas acupuncture
for addiction is available (i.e.Toronto,
Vancouver).
 In Sudbury, there is support available through
physicians at the Chinese Missionary Church
 Unfortunately, other than that...there is no
culturally-centered treatment option for
people of Chinese descent in Sudbury.

11. Conclusion
I have to be honest with you and tell you that I
was disappointed in the manner in which the
Chinese treat addiction. I realize that wars have
been fought regarding the distribution of
tobacco mixed with opium and now Chinese-
Canadians are playing a part in distributing
methamphetamine back into China. There is a
dire need for mindfulness in regard to treatment
and hope for addicts worldwide.
Thank you for listening.