Across China: Chinese traditions help juveniles stay sober

Yang swore that he could never forgive his father after he told the police that he was abusing drugs.

"I hated my father so much when he told the police and had me sent to rehab," the high-school graduate said. It was not until some time later, and after some extensive reading, that the boy came to understand his father.

Yang is one of 500 inmates of Chongqing Juvenile Correction Institute, which offers rehabilitation programs based on Chinese culture. The institute offers Taiji and lessons on Chinese classics, such as "The Three-Character Classic," "The Standards for Students," and "Yiching" (the Book of Changes).

"Most of our reading material concerns filial piety, honesty, peace, and family dynamics," said Liu Xiaojun, a director at the institute.

"Most young people can be weaned off drugs in three months. Then starts the biggest task -- helping them stay sober. We use Chinese traditions and culture to help them reassess the meaning of life, accept emotional support, and readjust into society after rehab," he said.

China has more than two million registered drug users, 62 percent are under the age of 35. Chongqing had 81,294 registered drug users by the end of 2015, the youngest was 14 years old.

At the institute, rehab can take up to two years. Some of the inmates are from wealthy families, while others just got in with the wrong crowd. Yang was an A-student in high school until he met a group of people who were loan sharks and dealt drugs.

"Though I may never be the ideal, obedient child written about in Chinese classics, I now know how wrong it was for me to have disobeyed my parents in the ways that I did," said Yang, "after a few months, I understood my father's decision -- it was for my own good."

The rehab program also includes calligraphy lessons. Qin Zhiqiang, a calligraphy expert who leads some of the classes, said most of the youngsters struggled to concentrate at first, but after a few sessions, they showed excellent self-discipline.

"By being taught good morals and ethics, the inmates develop a better understanding of what is right and wrong," he said.

"Life is like striking lines in calligraphy. Some lines can be beautiful and some can be ugly," said an inmate, who asked to just be identified by his surname Li

"Drug addiction is the worst part in my life, and I want to draw new lines, more beautiful lines," he said. Endi