KMT legislator Li Yanxiu recently caused controversy due to his speech on drug issues, causing dissatisfaction among social workers. (Provided by the Kuomintang)
The drug issue has recently become a focus of the Taipei mayoral election. KMT legislator Li Yanxiu has caused controversy due to his recent speech on the drug issue, which has caused dissatisfaction among social workers. The Taipei City Social Workers Professional Union will protest at its service office tomorrow and demand a public apology.
On the 9th, Li Yanxiu attended the "Say No to Drugs, I Will Protect My Children" event as the spokesperson of Taipei mayoral candidate Chiang Wanan's campaign team. He said that the community is a place where everyone dances and exercises every day. In the future, he will become a social worker there. Many drug addicts come to give drugs and poisons to treat their addiction. This is a great harm to the community.
Li Yanxiu's remarks on drug issues have caused controversy. The Taipei City Social Workers Professional Union has launched a protest. It is expected to go to Li Yanxiu's service office at 10 a.m. tomorrow to demand that Li Yanxiu publicly apologize and express dissatisfaction with the relevant remarks.
The Kaohsiung City Social Workers Professional Union also issued a solemn protest on Facebook, pointing out that Li Yanxiu has served as a member of the Sanitation Committee many times in the past and should be aware of the responsibilities of social workers, but he has publicly slandered social workers as distributing drugs in the community in the future. This seriously tarnishes the professional image of social work.
The All-Federation of Social Workers Association has issued a statement recently, describing social workers as providing drugs in the community and promoting people's addiction, which is inconsistent with the professional responsibilities of social workers and will easily cause the public to have unnecessary doubts about front-line social workers. It requires Li Yanxiu to apologize for "remarks about social workers providing drugs in the community" to prevent the public from misunderstanding that the professional work of social workers involves providing drugs or promoting addiction.
Shen Caiying, chairman of the Grassroots Pharmacists Association of the Republic of China, reiterated today that methadol is legally classified as a Class 2 drug and a Class 2 controlled drug due to its addictiveness and risk of abuse. The difference between a controlled drug and a drug lies in "the purpose of use and whether it is under medical control," rather than whether the drug itself is addictive. Controlled drugs are considered drugs if they are obtained without a doctor's prescription and for non-scientific purposes.
Shen Caiying pointed out that patients cannot directly purchase or request to be prescribed methadol. They must undergo an initial diagnosis and evaluation by a professional team at a designated medical institution. The issuance of methadol is extremely strictly controlled and cannot be dispensed in community pharmacies through general outpatient prescriptions. Even at satellite drug administration points that cooperate with health centers, the medication must be taken under the visual inspection of medical personnel and must not be taken out of the hospital or outside the drug administration point.
Shen Caiying said that methadol must have a "dedicated prescription" and "referral evaluation". The case must first undergo initial diagnosis and evaluation by a doctor at the original designated medical institution, the condition is stable, and a valid special prescription for methadol management drugs is issued before it can be referred to a cooperating health center satellite drug delivery point or apply for cross-regional drug administration.
Li Yanxiu issued a press release on the 10th, stating that he fully agrees with the Federation of Social Workers Association’s proposition that truly effective anti-drug policies should be based on scientific evidence, inter-professional cooperation and a complete social support system. He firmly opposes “the establishment of community centers to provide drug users with drugs and clean needles, and the introduction of social work mechanisms to assist”. Social workers are not drug providers and must not harm social workers’ roles, functions and community safety.
