Health minister defends harm reduction amid Taipei mayoral race clash

Taipei, Oct. 12 (CNA) Health Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) on Monday defended his ministry's harm-reduction program against mounting political criticism, stressing that it does not involve supplying illicit drugs in communities.

Shih also called for the privacy of people seeking addiction treatment to be protected.

The remarks came as drug policy has become a flashpoint in the Taipei mayoral race, with methadone maintenance treatment and clean-needle distribution at the center of a political dispute between incumbent Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) of the Kuomintang (KMT) and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) challenger, Puma Shen (沈伯洋).

Shih spoke at a hearing of the Legislature's Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee, where he presented a report on the government's harm-reduction program, addiction treatment and drug prevention measures.

Asked by reporters before the hearing whether the report was linked to the upcoming Nov. 28 local elections, Shih said recent political rhetoric had distorted public understanding of the program. He hoped to clarify the policy at the Legislature and called for continued public support.

During the hearing, Shih made clear that the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) does not support legalizing cannabis and has no plans to adopt a model involving the direct provision of illicit drugs in communities.

The ministry's harm-reduction policy is evidence-based and focuses on needle-exchange programs and methadone treatment, he said. "It does not involve the direct provision of drugs in communities."

Privacy concerns

DPP Legislator Lin Yueh-chin (林月琴) said frontline social workers and health care professionals had recently voiced concerns that political rhetoric was eroding trust painstakingly built with people seeking addiction treatment and could discourage them from seeking help.

She said portraying social workers' professional work as condoning drug use and reducing community-based services to the distribution of drugs and needles was an affront to their professionalism.

Lin also questioned whether clear guidelines were in place after a local government leader brought media crews to inspect methadone clinics.

Patients might avoid seeking treatment if they feared encountering police, being photographed or having their identities exposed, she said.

In response, Shih reiterated that protecting patient privacy, preventing stigmatization and ensuring that services operate without interference and remain easily accessible were critical to the success of the harm-reduction program.

Lin Ku-ting (林故廷), deputy director-general of the National Police Agency's Criminal Investigation Bureau, meanwhile, said police would be instructed to avoid stakeouts, surveillance and enforcement operations at methadone treatment sites whenever possible.

Regarding drug screening in schools, Shih said testing high-risk groups could facilitate early intervention. However, screening should be accompanied by counseling, referrals and other support services, while taking into account legal considerations, students' rights and the risk of stigmatization.

Campaign dispute

The dispute began after Shen unveiled a campaign platform earlier this month setting out four strategies to combat drug use on campuses: cutting off drug supplies, strengthening life-skills education, introducing drug screening and reinforcing judicial measures.

Chiang's campaign subsequently questioned whether Shen's position on drugs would encourage drug abuse, citing a September 2014 article in which Shen suggested that if decriminalization was considered too radical, Taiwan could establish community centers that provided drugs and clean needles alongside social worker support.

Shen responded that the article discussed harm-reduction measures, citing methadone maintenance treatment and clean needle exchange programs already in place in Taipei. The article did not specifically mention methadone.

KMT lawmaker Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) suggested that a harm-reduction policy discussed by Shen could involve social workers distributing drugs in communities, a characterization the MOHW has repeatedly rejected.

Program background

The harm-reduction program was launched in 2005 amid a rapid rise in HIV infections linked to needle sharing among drug users, according to Shih. It provides clean needles to reduce the spread of infectious diseases, as well as methadone treatment to help opioid users leave the illegal drug market and enter the health care system.

Methadone is classified as a Category 2 narcotic in Taiwan but has approved medical uses. It is administered orally under medical supervision as substitution therapy for opioid dependence.

Clean needle exchange programs are a separate component of the country's harm-reduction policy.