Getting to know the score about drugs

The authorities in Beijing are using musical therapy to help rehabilitate addicts in the capital. Zhang Yi reports.

Last month, Beijing played host to a concert that was literally unmissable, both for the performers and the audience, who are all drug addicts residing at the Compulsory Rehabilitation Center in the capital. The show was part of efforts to shift the emphasis of addiction treatment from punishment to rehabilitation.

"I was devastated when I was sent here in September to start a minimum six-month sentence. I thought it was bad luck that I was spotted at a toll booth in Beijing (when under the influence of drugs), and I was afraid of the rehab process. But now, the access to music has helped me to calm down and also improved my ability to manage my emotions. The desire for drugs has gradually declined as well," said pianist Wang Feng (not his real name), a former methamphetamine addict.