China plans to enhance its monitoring network for drugs and promote international cooperation to stamp out drug trafficking with the country's first bill on drug control.

Opium, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine hydrochloride -- commonly known as "ice" -- morphine, and cocaine are listed as banned drugs.

The bill introduced in the legislature on Tuesday sets strict rules on the clinical use of pharmaceuticals and other chemicals and medicines that could be used to make illegal narcotics, such as methadone and ephedrine.

Regular checks will be required during the production, sale and use of sensitive clinical medicines. The bill stipulates that farms that grow medicines and warehouses that store them will be under state guard.

The bill requires the owners and managers of discos, bars, and night clubs, to post anti-drug signs in prominent places inside the venues and to report drug takers to the police.

It will also authorize police to search people and their luggage for illegal drugs at key public places such as train stations, long-distance bus stations and border crossings.

"It is important to introduce such a law as China is now facing a grave situation in drug control," Zhang Xinfeng, Vice Minister of Public Security, said in a briefing to lawmakers of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

China was experiencing an increase in drug trafficking from the Golden Triangle, an area located in countries along the Mekong River delta including Myanmar and Laos, and the Golden Crescent area in western Asia.

Five of China's six provincial areas troubled most by drug-related problems were in western China and were adjacent to the two notorious narcotics producing regions.

Almost all of the heroin traded illegally across the world came from the two regions, Zhang said, adding that drugs from the Golden Triangle are "pouring" into China, posing a great threat to the country's drug control efforts.

The number of drug takers grew 35 percent in the five years since 2000 to hit 1.16 million in early 2005, according to police data. Police estimate that China had more than 700,000 heroin addicts, 69 percent of whom are under the age of 35.

"It's impossible to fight the drug problems without international cooperation," Zhang said, noting the bill stipulated that Chinese police should share information with other countries and international organizations and enhance collaboration in investigations.

The bill requires Chinese authorities to share the seizures and the revenues from drug crimes with other countries and regions in operations outside its border.

And Chinese authorities would be required by the law to support and assist in other countries' opium replacement crop planting.

China has already launched opium replacement planting schemes with Myanmar and Laos and other neighboring countries. Rubber, tea and other crops were grown as substitutes.

Earlier this year, China and Myanmar confirmed after investigation that the Wa State of Myanmar has realized its goal of banning poppy production.

Observers said the new law showed more humanitarian concern for drug users as the law would allow many of them to recover in their communities, rather than being confined to rehabilitation centers as the current drug control regulation requires.

The bill stipulates that rehabilitation centers would only admit frequent intravenous drug takers, people who refuse community assistance, or fail in community corrections, and those who live in communities without correction resources.

Rehabilitation centers should be classified to serve people of different ages, gender, and addictive conditions, with abuse and humiliation strictly banned.

It also bans discrimination against people who are under or through rehabilitations in terms of education, employment, and social security benefits. (Xinhua Reporters Wu Jing, Zhou Lei, Bai Ying in Beijing also contributed to the story.)

Source: Xinhua