Since methamphetamine reemerged in China, it has become a severe problem. Following the epidemic of methamphetamine in western countries, the methamphetamine use entered in China in the late 1990s. In the last decade, new type drugs, including methamphetamine, MDMA and ketamine, rapidly spread from some cities in southeast coast to other inland areas. The impact of methamphetamine abuse on public health and social stability has drawn government's attention to solve the problem. Chinese government has adopted complex measures both in treatment and prevention of methamphetamine abuse. However, the different characteristics of methamphetamine from traditional addictive drugs such as heroin call for China to adjust its policy and strategy on drug control. With the continuous efforts by government and changing attitudes of public to drug, we believe methamphetamine abuse would be brought under control in China. Dr. Lin Lu is Director of China‘s National Institute on Drug Dependence (NIDD), and a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at Peking University. Before taking the position at NIDD, China, he worked at NIDA/IRP, NIH in the United States, focusing on the area of the neurobiology of cocaine withdrawal and relapse. NIDD is China‘s premiere national organization focusing on addiction, from basic science to clinical treatment. Its departments include neuroscience, epidemiology, medication development, clinical pharmacology and an addiction treatment center. In 2005, Dr. Lu organized NIDD‘s Methadone Maintenance Treatment program (MMT), Since 2006, Dr. Lu has researched harm reduction efforts in China. Professor Lu has worked in the addiction field for 19 years. In that time he has pub- lished more than 100 peer-reviewed papers ranging from molecular to behavioral issues of addiction. As a clinical physician, he also published more than 50 papers on treatment and medication development for addiction and depression. Dr. Lu was trained as a clinical doctor and received his Ph.D. after working as a physician in the field of mental health and addiction. His development of an internet-based psychotherapy and suicide-management program for patients with mental health and addiction problems won him recognition as an expert in addiction treatment in China. During Dr. Lu‘s five years at NIDA/NIH, he published more than 20 papers in interna- tional peer-reviewed journals such as Nature, Neurosciences, Trends in Neurosciences, J o u r n a l o f Ne u r o s c i e n c e , B i o l o g i c a l Psychiatry, Neuropsychopharmacology, and Psychopharmacology.

National Institute on Drug Dependence Peking University Beijing

First global conference on methamphetamine science, strategy and response, Prague, 15-16 September 2008