Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Engages On-Site to Promote Social Rehabilitation for Drug Addiction

Listening to Opinions at Gyeonggi and Gangwon "Together Step Centers" on May 21-22

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced on May 21 that it held a meeting with on-site staff at the "Gyeonggi Together Step Center" located in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, to discuss systematic rehabilitation measures for drug addiction in local communities. The ministry urged the staff to ensure the smooth execution of social rehabilitation projects.

On May 22, similar on-site communication will be conducted at the "Gangwon Together Step Center" located in Gangneung, Gangwon Province.

This on-site communication was organized to share the status of social rehabilitation projects at each center for drug offenders and addicts in each region, and to listen to the real-life opinions and difficulties of the staff.

The Together Step Center is the department in charge of social rehabilitation for drug addiction within the Korea Association Against Drug Abuse. It provides education, counseling, and rehabilitation support to help drug addicts, their families, acquaintances, and anyone in need due to drug-related problems regain a healthy daily life.

Until 2020, the centers operated only in Seoul and Busan. In 2023, one was added in Daejeon, and last year, 14 new centers were established nationwide, greatly improving accessibility so that users can easily access rehabilitation services within their residential areas. Social rehabilitation programs provided at these centers include psychological evaluations, individual counseling, rehabilitation education, group rehabilitation programs, and family programs.

Kang Baekwon, Director of Drug Safety Planning at the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, stated, "Drug addiction is not just an individual issue, but a problem faced by the families of addicts and society as a whole. Therefore, continuous social rehabilitation to prevent relapse is extremely important." He urged, "If you are struggling with drug-related problems, do not hesitate?visit your nearest Together Step Center and begin social rehabilitation immediately."

The ministry added, "We will continue to do our utmost to provide administrative and policy support to prevent drug abuse and strengthen social rehabilitation, so that addicts can return to society in a healthy and timely manner, thereby realizing a society safe from drugs."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.