There is limited heroin production in China, but Chinese officials report that about ten percent of the opium seized by police is domestically produced. Opium produced in China appears to be mainly for domestic consumption. According to some reports, small fields of opium poppy have been discovered growing in the northwest province of Xinjiang, in addition to the provinces bordering the Golden Triangle. Cannabis also grows naturally in Xinjiang Province and is cultivated for use in commercial rope manufacturing, as well as for narcotics production. A rapid increase in the availability of road, rail, and air links, coupled with greater individual freedom of travel in China, has expanded the number of possible routes for the movement of illicit drugs in China.
Officials say that drug abuse has been discovered in all areas of China.
Due to recognition among Chinese officials that drug abuse was more widespread than initially thought, there has been a movement to rapidly increase the number of drug treatment and rehabilitation centers. There are now more than 500 such facilities in the country. Much of the growing public awareness about drug abuse in China can be attributed to greater media attention to narcotics. Television and print media highlighted increasing problems with drug use in urban areas and sympathetically portrayed the plight of patients seeking treatment. Drug addicts in China are encouraged to register and receive treatment at government treatment centers.