China is emerging as a world leader in many areas: manufacturing, technology, and transportation among others. With China’s modernization have come many of the social issues of the west, including substance abuse problems.

China currently is also the world’s leading producer of beer and spirits. Although their rates of addiction have historically been lower than most nations, alcoholism and drug abuse are rising fast in China. At the current rate of incidence of substance abuse, China may have the highest per capita rate of alcohol and drug abuse in the world in the not-too-distant future.

In a country of over 1.3 billion people, four times that of the U.S., the increase in substance abuse is alarming.

To respond to these needs, the International Center for Addiction Studies (ICAS) was established by the International Center for Health Concerns, Inc., in Beijing, China, providing training and technical assistance to professionals throughout Asia.  ICAS’s mission is to train professionals worldwide and to build worldwide capacity in addictions treatment. ICAS’s 2009-goals are:

• Support the growth of Twelve Step Programs
• Offer training in addictions focused on the 12 Core Functions
• Offer skills-based, advanced courses in   family and group therapy
• Credential addiction specialists, including medical professionals, human service workers, and recovering counselors
• Assist in the development of epidemiological research and an assessment tool for alcohol and drug abuse in Mandarin for Chinese
• Train on alcohol and drug abuse to prevention workers, corporate leaders, law enforcement officials, and school counselors.
• Offer training at ICAS to Americans and other Asians to enhance the cultural mix of the courses.

ICAS offers graduate and/or certificate level courses based on credit hours and hands-on experience. A detailed description of courses is available for your review.

ICHC has a long history in China. We invite you to learn about how conversations that began with, "We do not have any alcoholics or drug abusers to show you" in 1979 became a rallying cry for increased AA programs across China by 2000.

ICHC works with a dedicated and experienced cadre of professional trainers from the field of addictions treatment, prevention and counseling.

Since 2000, the International Center for Health Concerns (ICHC) has aided in establishing Twelve Step Programs in Mandarin and the training of addiction professionals in China. From 2005-8, over four hundred people were trained as addiction specialists. Twelve Step groups (AA/NA/Al-Anon) are held daily in several cities in China. Progress is being made in addressing the growing alcohol and drug abuse issues, but much still is to be done.

In order to offer the exciting opportunities through ICAS in China, ICHC relies upon the support and dedication of pilanthropists, companies and individuals around the world. The dream would be impossible without this assistance. Below are some ideas on how you can support the work of ICAS. We also invite you to learn about the role you can play in supporting ICHC as a whole.

• Train in China: We need professionals who can train China’s addiction professionals and funding to support this training.

• Attend training:  A limited number of slots are open for training with a world-class faculty and to sightsee China. You can attend either the core  training (counseling skills, pharmacology, assessment, and co-occurring disorders) or a skills-based, advanced course on family therapy and addictions.  Come to China to receive training and see the emerging China.

• Recovery in China—March 2-23, 2009:  We invite people in recovery and family members to tell their stories of recovery and to share their experience, strength and hope.

• Contributions: ICHC provides scholarships for Chinese people in recovery to attend the training. It costs $150 USD per recovering person to receive the training. Contributions to a scholarship fund are appreciated. Also, contributions to support ICAS training in China are needed.

• Donations. We seek corporate, personal, and philanthropic donations to support ICAS_09. Financial support is needed to attain the goals of ICAS in 2009.

If you are passionate about the mission of ICAS and to making significant change in China and in the lives of so many affected by addictions, we encourage you to contact us.