Over the past two months police in China have arrested an estimated 44,000 people on drug charges, and confiscated more than 21 tons of narcotics in the country's ongoing war on drugs.

China's Ministry of Public Security said that police have punished some 180,000 drug users, and uncovered another 91,653 new drug users since October when China started a campaign to "ban drugs in hundreds of cities." Of those users, 55,679 were placed under compulsory rehab programs, the ministry said. The campaign will continue until April.

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The region of China with the most drug crimes discovered was in the southwestern province of Yunnan. Police arrested 3,084 suspects and captured 5 tons of drugs in the province. The high drug activity in that province is attributed to the fact that it shares a border with Myanmar and Vietnam. The ministry said it has focused its efforts on stemming the flow of illegal drugs from Yunnan and other border areas.

China's drug crackdown has received a lot of publicity in recent years, particularly concerning its initiative to crack down on celebrities who use drugs.

Beijing police arrested talent show star Li Daimo in March for taking drugs in a rented house. Martial arts movie star Jackie Chan's son, Jaycee Chan, was arrested on Aug. 14 in Beijing along with Taiwan movie star Kai Ko, after a marijuana bust in his residence.

China's media watchdog, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, has ordered entertainment companies to stop hiring stars who use drugs or visit prostitutes. The ban also covers online media, film producers and publishers.

The Beijing Trade Association for Performances announced in September that it will not hire celebrities involved in drug abuse or prostitution. And earlier this year, the group and more than 40 arts organizations agreed not to hire people who use drugs.

The government says that stars who use drugs or visit prostitutes have harmed the image of the entertainment industry, and that they set a bad example for children.

TagsChina Arrests 44, 000 Drug Suspects in Two Months, ban drugs in hundreds of cities, Ministry of Public Security, Li Daimo, Jaycee Chan, Kai Ko