The Opposite of Addiction Is Connection: How Other Countries Approach Drug Rehabilitation

[Anchor]

As we reported yesterday, July 7, we are trapped in a reality where one in two drug offenders falls back into the cycle of recidivism. There is growing criticism that the focus of our response to drug-related crimes must shift from punishment and isolation to active treatment and rehabilitation.

So, how are other countries handling this? We begin with a report from reporter Je Hui-won, followed by a discussion.

[Reporter]

This is an integrated management facility for drug addicts that opened at the Seoul Eunpyeong Hospital last October.

It is the first public facility to support the necessary stages of treatment and rehabilitation in one place following legal punishment.

It was established in the wake of the drug-laced drink incident at a private academy in Daechi-dong three years ago, which exposed how deeply drugs have infiltrated our daily lives.

[Kim Dong-hyun / Head of the Seoul Drug Management Center: You need better accessibility to drug treatment than to drugs themselves to create an environment where addiction can be treated.]

Lee Dong-jae, who works here as a recovery support specialist, was once a drug addict himself.

Addicted to marijuana and methamphetamine, he faced criminal punishment four times. However, after three years and six months of rehabilitation, he is now in a position to reach out to those suffering from drug addiction, just as he once did.

[Lee Dong-jae / Recovery Support Specialist: There is a saying that the opposite of addiction is connection. People with the same pain gather to form bonds and a sense of solidarity.]

While the demand for such public integrated management is growing as fast as the results of massive crackdowns and arrests, the reality is that even basic treatment is hard to receive in a timely manner due to a shortage of medical professionals specializing in drug addiction.

The United States, which experienced high recidivism rates before us, determined that punishing drug offenders was not the only solution. Since 1989, it has introduced drug courts that integrate criminal procedures with treatment.

Instead of immediate criminal punishment, the court orders treatment, and a judge receives weekly reports on the progress of the treatment.

[Steven O'Neill / Judge (June 7, 2023, SBS 8 News): If you skip (the urine test) again according to the rules, I will prosecute you immediately.]

[Defendant (June 7, 2023, SBS 8 News): Yes, Your Honor. Thank you.]

There are currently about 4,000 drug courts in the United States.

The recidivism rate is about three times lower for those who complete the court treatment program.

In Australia, the difference in recidivism rates between those who completed the drug court program and those who dropped out was more than twofold.

[Park Young-deok / Head of the Korea Drug Recovery Association: If an addict works hard on their treatment, the court can give a more favorable ruling during the trial. The public must now recognize that this is a time when treatment and rehabilitation are necessary.]

Experts point out that we must expand public drug management centers that support medical intervention and counseling from the moment of detection, and hasten the introduction of a Korean-style drug court system that can dramatically lower recidivism rates.

(Video reporting: Kim Seung-tae, Yang Ji-hoon | Video editing: Choi Hye-young | Graphics: Kim Han-gil, Park Tae-young)

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[Anchor]

Reporter Lee Se-hyun, who covered this story, is here with us.

Q. Why should the state be involved in the rehabilitation of drug offenders?

[Lee Se-hyun: If you view drug addiction merely as an individual's deviation, you might ask that question. It is easier to understand by looking at the U.S. case. The U.S. government, which declared a war on drugs in the 1970s, experienced the limitations of a policy centered on punishment and isolation—much like our current approach. After pouring massive budgets into rehabilitation, they assessed whether it was meaningful. A follow-up study of 11,000 addicts showed that supporting treatment and rehabilitation reduced recidivism and increased social productivity, which ultimately reduced social costs. It means that viewing it as a disease that requires lifelong management, rather than an individual's deviation, and helping with recovery is beneficial to our society as well.]

Q. Is there any discussion about a Korean-style drug court?

[Lee Se-hyun: It is still in the beginning stages. A legislative debate on drug courts was recently held at the National Assembly. A Korean-style model was proposed, which would involve installing treatment-dedicated divisions in first-instance courts and increasing treatment protection. However, no related bills have been proposed yet, nor has a government-level blueprint been presented. As the government has launched an all-out response, stating that the drug problem that has deeply penetrated our daily lives can no longer be delayed, discussions must continue with recovery and rehabilitation as a pillar of drug eradication, alongside crackdowns and punishment.]

(Video editing: Choi Hye-young | Graphics: Seo Hyun-joong)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.