The Chinese capital offered a special anti-drug training program to one hundred and twenty owners and managers of entertainment venues in the city on Tuesday, local public security bureau announced.

All the owners and managers of the 1,200 entertainment venues in Beijing are required to take part in the program in the coming 15 days, said Chen Qiang, director of the anti-drug department of Beijing Public Security Bureau.

The move is designed to ensure that the entertainment venues and all the public areas would be drug free, thus to creat a good environment for a safe 2008 Olympic Games, he said.

The police will help the owners and managers raise their awareness of the bad effects of new drugs like methamphetamine, ecstasy and cocaine, and teach them how to recognize the new drugs.

Chen said more people are taking new drugs in the city, although they have little knowledge about their harm. Over 270 users of new drugs have been arrested between January and August this year, he added.

The business of entertainment venues would be suspended for three to six months if drugs were found there, according to the bureau.

Beijing has registered more than 20,000 drug users.

(Xinhua News Agency August 30, 2006)