Discourses of drug problems and drug control in China: Reports in the People’s Daily, 1946–2009

Abstract

Notwithstanding the role that opium and narcotics have played in China’s history, drug use, trafficking and other drug-related problems have been consistently condemned by the Chinese government as social vices. After being a ‘drug-free’ nation from the 1950s to the 1970s, drug problems resurfaced in the 1980s and China was forced to deal with such problems once again. The Chinese government is well known for its tight control over the media, and for its ability to utilize propaganda to win public support and carry out its policies. However, the Chinese government’s use of the media and propaganda to deal with drug issues has never been explored. Based on longitudinal data collected from the People’s Daily (from 1946 to 2009), this study examines two key issues: the ways in which the government has utilized ideology in its official stories over time, and the means through which the government has tried to re-establish its drug control in the 21st century. The data suggest that the use of ‘hard-core’ ideology as a tool has not only drastically declined over time but also undergone significant modifications. The Chinese government has adopted a multifaceted approach to drug control and it has managed to present a unified voice in the media in combatting drug problems.