Former drug addict embraces life and aims to help others like him
Xiayang Drug Rehabilitation Center in Qingpu District recently invited a former drug abuser to share his successful experience of rehabilitation and work to encourage current rehab inmates to get rid of drug addiction and rebuild their lives.
Lu Jinbao was a former inmate of the rehab center, but is now a successful businessman.
"When I returned home, I faced a lot of challenges, including the disappointment of my family and difficulty in making a living and resisting the enticement from friends who were drug addicts," he said. "Every time I was upset, I would think about my rehab life, the words of the police officers and psychologists and the various rehab training programs, which gave me confidence to re-integrate into society and come back to normal life."
Despite difficulties, his life was put back on the right track with help from the government and social workers.
He opened a noodle restaurant in Chongming District in September 2015. As he is the 7th child in his family, he named the shop after his nick name “Qi Bao.”
With his own experience, he knows the difficulty drug abusers face finding jobs. That's why he hired six people released from rehab centers to expand the restaurant.
In December 2015, he set up a construction company to undertake construction programs, hiring more returnees from rehab centers. The company has become a practical employment center for former drug addicts.
He has also established a voluntary workshop to help more drug addicts re-integrate into society.
“His previous experience mirrors my life, with estrangement from family, discrimination in society, and difficulty in life. All these left me little confidence to return to the society,” said one of the inmates at Xiayang. “Lu’s change enlightened me and gave me confidence that maybe I can be as successful as him.”