CHINA EXHIBITION SHOWS DRUG DANGERS

BEIJING - Pointing to growing concern over drug abuse in the capital,
Chinese officials have launched a multimedia exhibition to educate young
people of the dangers of illegal drugs, the Beijing Youth Daily reported
Sunday.

The exhibit, located next to a bustling wholesale vegetable market, includes
photographs, essays and paintings, some mounted on 10-foot-high display
boards, the paper said.

Heroin, hashish, opium and other drugs are believed to be widely available
in Beijing, despite harsh penalties imposed on drug traffickers including
death. Students say sniffing pure heroin has become popular among affluent
young people in the capital.

China takes a moralistic approach to prevention, with little counseling for
addicts and virtually no formal support after they complete court-imposed
terms in rehabilitation centers.