Zhong Ming has become a famous figure in Zunyi, southwest China's Guizhou Province, after finding jobs for drug addicts who were discriminated against and helping four of them drop the habit.

Zhong, 35, head of the Hailong township government, sums up his motivation for helping drug addicts with the words: "to save a person is to save a family from breakdown".

He is one of the heroes in the Chinese "people's war" against drugs. China had 785,000 drug addicts at the end of 2005, 89 percent of whom were addicted to heroin, according to the statistics by the Information Office of the State Council.

Of the 13 people that Zhong helped, four are finally free of drug addiction, even though statistics show in Guizhou that 95 percent of addicts turn to drugs again after efforts to give up.

Formerly a singer addicted to drugs, Li Bing now works at a local farm run by one of Zhong Ming's friends. Li had lost his job at a theatrical company and his girl friend due to drug addiction, and was told he was unwelcome by his brothers and sisters.

Besides finding a job for Li Bing, Zhong Ming also paid for Li's accommodation and even gave him pocket money. Li told Xinhua during a recent interview that he regained friendship and confidence by working on the farm.

Li Bing could only do housework and take care of pets and fowls when he began working on the farm since he was so weak after years of drug abuse. However, he is now able to carry some 50 kg of water.

Zhong Ming even invited an addict to live with his family in late 2002 to help him. "As a male adult, Bin Bin was less than 45 kg at that time. My mother prepared midnight snacks for him because he ate so little at meals," Zhong said.

Since then Bin Bin has never hit the pipe and he has found a job and his Miss Right.

However, Zhong has also met setbacks as the other nine gave in to drugs despite his help.

He spent six months in 2002 helping Jing Song, formerly a driver, to battle his addiction by getting him a job as a newspaper sub-editor. But to his disappointment, Jing Song succumbed to substances once again.

(Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2006)