Public security media defends punishment of celebrity drug use
Prohibiting performers and celebrities who once took drugs from returning to the entertainment and cultural fields should be a matter of social consensus, the flagship news website of the Ministry of Public Security said on Thursday.
The China Police, a news website supervised by the Ministry of Public Security, published an article saying the prohibition is a concrete implementation of relevant laws and regulations and a reaffirmation of industry supervision.
Making such celebrities pay a price for their illegal behavior can serve as a warning for other public figures and make them strictly abide by the law and the rules of the profession, the article said.
The article took the Chinese singer Song Dongye as an example. Song was arrested in 2016 for taking drugs and made a post on Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform, on Oct 11, complaining his concerts were often canceled due to tip-offs.
Song's post revealed the grievance but showed no remorse, attempting to whitewash the behavior of celebrities taking drugs and demonstrates a disregard for the law, the article said.
The Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee issued a circular in September on carrying out comprehensive treatment of cultural and entertainment fields, and it requested severe punishment for performers and celebrities who violated the law and lost moral integrity.
Some performers and celebrities ignored the law and took drugs to pursue so-called stimulation, which ruined their future and hurt the feelings of their fans, bringing extremely bad influence on society, the article said.
It said justifying celebrities' drug-taking behavior as a means of inspiration under great pressure is clearly wrong and dangerous. Drug use has never been a "panacea" for inspiration, and there is no excuse for taking drugs, it said.
The article noted celebrities who once took drugs can resume their work, but they must not become public figures, stating this was a "red line".
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