A former staffer of Mie-DARC, a drug addiction rehabilitation center in Mie Prefecture, has been providing similar support for addicts in Turkey.
Daisuke Aoyama, 29, from the city of Suzuka in the prefecture, left four years ago for Turkey, where he found antidrug control measures insufficient. His efforts are steadily bringing results, but he faces difficulties in raising funds to maintain his activities.
When he was in high school, Aoyama was lured by his friends into using amphetamines. "At that time, I was anxious about my future and I always resisted doing certain things. But when I used the drug, I felt better," he said.