Minister of Health and Welfare Shi Chongliang responded to the accusations made by KMT legislator Li Yanxiu yesterday, emphasizing that the harm reduction policy does not encourage drug use and does not require social workers to distribute drugs or needles, and pointed out that the policy aims to reduce health and social risks in international public health.
Minister of Health and Welfare Shi Chongliang (Shi Chongliang) told reporters in Taipei yesterday that the drug harm reduction program does not encourage drug use or require social workers to distribute drugs. The remarks were in response to legislator Shen Boyang (Shen Boyang) who was accused of promoting the distribution of illegal drugs and clean needles at community centers.
Kuomintang legislator Li Yanxiu, a spokesman for Taipei Mayor Chiang Wanan's re-election campaign, noted on Friday that "community centers are places where people dance and exercise," but they will be turned into places where social workers distribute drugs and create addicts.
Previously, Chiang Wanan’s campaign team had accused DPP Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Boyang of advocating distributing drugs and cleaning needles in community centers.
Shen Boyang later said his remarks were merely a reference to a plan already implemented in other parts of Taiwan.
The Taipei-based National Union of Professional Social Worker Associations, Taiwan on Friday called on Li Yanxiu to publicly apologize for his remarks.
"Social workers are not drug providers," the association said in a statement. "Please stop misleading the public about professional social work."
Li Yanxiu's remarks wrongly linked the professional role of social workers to poison reduction policies, which may lead to public misunderstanding and distrust of frontline social workers.
The association further states: “The social work profession has a longstanding commitment to substance addiction prevention and treatment, psychosocial support, family relationship repair, connection to community resources, and social reintegration services.” Describing social work as providing drugs and creating addiction is inconsistent with the professional responsibilities of those in this profession.
In the field of international public health, harm reduction programs aim to minimize the health and social risks associated with drug use, including disease transmission, overdose, family dysfunction, and social exclusion.
“Harm reduction does not mean encouraging drug use, nor does it mean providing drugs indiscriminately,” the association added, noting that public figures should avoid spreading false information that could undermine trust in the social work profession and the people it serves.
Shi Chongliang emphasized again yesterday: "I must emphasize again that the drug reduction plan does not encourage drug use, and the plan does not require social workers to distribute drugs." He solemnly said: "Don't let unnecessary [political] mud-throwing distort or interfere with these plans."
Toxic reduction programs include needle provision, methadone maintenance treatment, infection screening and social reintegration, which rely on multi-professional collaboration.
He added that these plans have yielded significant results.
Shi Chongliang said people should stop interfering with the work of frontline professional workers.
Li Yanxiu said yesterday that she agreed with the Professional Social Union Association's view that effective anti-drug policies should be based on scientific evidence, interdisciplinary cooperation and a comprehensive social support system.
She strongly opposes the model of community centers providing drug users with drugs and cleaning needles.
Li Yanxiu reiterated: "Social workers are not drug providers." She added that their professional roles and responsibilities should not be diminished and community safety should not be threatened.
She believes drug use prevention and harm reduction should follow the delivery of methadone replacement therapy through health facilities, where people must take the medication on-site under direct medical supervision and are not allowed to leave with the medication.
In addition, the roles and responsibilities of medical professionals, social workers, drug abuse prevention centers and other experts should also be clearly demarcated, she noted. Interdisciplinary collaboration and clear division of responsibilities are crucial to minimizing the harm of drugs to individuals and society.
This article was also reported by Liu Wanlin.
News source: TAIPEI TIMES
