China continues to strengthen its efforts to fight drugs in the country specifically in the southwestern Tibet Autonomous Region.

According to the government new agency Xinhua, a team of 500 volunteers gathered together to fight drug abuse and illicit trafficking in Tibet Autonomous Region. The volunteers are from the area and will be working under Tibet's association of young volunteers. Their goal is to educate the public about drug abuse and trafficking. The group will also help addicts refrain from using drugs.

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The volunteers will be carrying out the project in cooperation with the nationwide anti-drug organizations.

One of the volunteers named Zhang Qiaoting said in a statement that he hopes he can help more people realize what harm drugs can do. He added that if he makes people realize that, then they can set up a "stronger firewall against drugs."

The Chief of Tibet's regional Narcotics Control Commission Deng Xiaogang said that Tibet encourages everyone to join the fight against drugs.

The group of volunteers was formed on Sunday, which was also the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in the country. In commemoration of the day, the Tibetan regional government destroyed more than 200 kilograms of drugs seized across the region since 2013.

Tibet Autonomous Region is not the only area that destroyed drugs. Other Chinese provinces and cities did the same on Sunday to show that the government and the citizens are determined to fight drugs. The move was also meant to warn citizens to stay away from drugs.

One of the provinces that joined the event is Yunnan Province. At the Xishuangbanna prefecture in the province, officials destroyed over 2,000 kilograms of drugs such as heroin, opium, and morphine. Yunnan is one of the Chinese provinces affected by drug use as it is near the opium-growing Golden Triangle in the neighboring Southeast Asia. Between January to May this year, police officials in Yunnan seized up to 9.6 tons of drugs. 

Tagschina, drug usage, Tibet Autonomous Region, Zhang Qiaoting, International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Yunnan, heroin, morphine