The government is planning to build new drug rehabilitation centres and refurbish existing ones in the coming year, a senior welfare official says.

U Tun Zaw, director of the Department of Rehabilitation under the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, said that under new regulations, drug addicts will be sent to one of the country’s nine drug rehabilitation centres instead of going to jail.

The department was formed early last year to oversee efforts to rehabilitate drug abusers.

“The Shwe Pyi Tar Youth Rehabilitation Centre in Pyay Township, Bago Region, and the Shwe Pyi Youth Rehabilitation Centre in Hpekon Township, Shan State, which were formerly under the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control, are going to be transferred to the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement and will restart rehabilitation work. Our department is seeking a budget for staff, training and construction of new centres,” he said.

Currently, there are drug rehab centres in Yangon, Mandalay, Lashio, Myitkyina, Kengtung, Tachileik, Myawady, and Kawthoung.