Drug rehab internees get holiday furlough

Twenty-three people being held in compulsory rehabilitation centers in Shanghai, to overcome drug habits, became the first group in the city to be released for family reunions during the holiday.

They have been furloughed from the centers from Sunday to Tuesday, the three-day International Workers' Day national holiday, and were accompanied home by their families.

First, however, they had to sign letters of commitment that they will use the time only for visiting family and will stay away from any form of illegal activity, said Lyu Zhaohui, director of the Shanghai Gaojing Compulsory Rehabilitation Center.