Medical Facilities for Initial and Mild Drug Addiction Treatment for Young Adults… 34 Locations in Operation
An average of 250 people use the facilities monthly this year… 3rd year marks 3,391 cumulative visitors
Patients find designated facilities for outpatient treatment, maintaining daily life. ‘[Edaily reporter Ham Ji-hyun] The City of Seoul announced on the 20th that “Donghaeng Clinic,” a drug addiction treatment facility operating since 2023, is becoming a practical treatment hub for those with mild and initial drug addiction. Usage of Donghaeng Clinic has been steadily increasing over its three years of operation, with a total of 3,391 visits to date, and a monthly average of 250 visits this year.
The City of Seoul has designated Donghaeng Clinics, focusing on psychiatric medicine, to reinforce initial drug addiction treatment for adolescents and young adults, with a total of 34 locations currently operating in the city. Treatment is provided through an outpatient approach, where patients visit nearby clinics designated as Donghaeng Clinics.
With the increase in drug offenders and the spread of online and non-face-to-face purchases, even adolescents are quickly coming into contact with drugs, prompting the city to expand Donghaeng Clinics in stages. Seoul’s drug offenders numbered 4,640 in 2022, 6,271 in 2023, and 5,623 in 2024, averaging over 5,000 annually in the past three years.
The city recognized that there had been challenges with timely treatment due to a lack of drug treatment facilities and that conventional isolation and hospitalization-focused methods for severe addicts were limited in responding promptly to the treatment needs of initial and mild patients. However, with Donghaeng Clinics allowing outpatient treatment while maintaining daily life, they are experiencing high utilization rates.
Moving forward, Seoul plans to continue efforts to enhance the standardized drug treatment guidelines in collaboration with psychiatric associations and societies, regularly share treatment cases, and activate the outpatient treatment system for drug addiction.
Additionally, the City of Seoul offers “anonymous drug tests” at health centers in 25 districts to allow anyone concerned about drug exposure to be easily tested. Victims exposed to drugs or citizens who want to get tested can do so free of charge; if the test result is positive, they are referred to medical facilities capable of precise testing and treatment.
Kang Jin-yong, Head of the Seoul City Health and Medical Policy Division, stated, “Early treatment of drug addiction is the first step toward recovery, and ‘Donghaeng Clinic’ will be the closest recovery outlet for addicts,” adding, “We will continue to create an environment where drug addicts and their families can courageously choose treatment and strengthen the structure where the entire community aids recovery.”