Taipei:Medical and social work organizations have expressed support for drug harm-reduction policies amid a contentious political debate involving Taipei mayoral candidates leading up to the Nov. 28 local elections.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Taiwan Association of Clinical Psychology and the Association of Taiwan Clinical Psychologists released a joint statement on Sunday endorsing harm-reduction measures, such as clean-needle programs and methadone maintenance treatment. However, they noted that while methadone is effective for opioid dependence, treatment for stimulant addiction requires continuous psychological and social interventions.

This statement aligns with previous endorsements from the Taiwan Medical Association, the Taiwanese Society of Psychiatry, and the Taiwan Society for Forensic Clinical Psychology. Additionally, the Taiwan Union of Nurses Association emphasized that harm-reduction policies do not promote drug use and urged politicians to respect expert opinions to prevent social division.

The National Union of Social Workers (NUSW) has called on Kuomintang lawmaker Lee Yen-hsiu to apologize for comments suggesting that harm-reduction policies might involve social workers distributing drugs. The union clarified that social workers assist drug users in recovery and societal reintegration, and stressed that harm-reduction does not equate to drug encouragement.

The Taipei Social Workers Union plans to rally outside Lee's office, seeking an apology. Lee, while agreeing with NUSW on the need for science-based anti-drug policies, opposed the idea of community centers distributing clean needles and drugs.

The debate has focused on Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, whose campaign has questioned Democratic Progressive Party candidate Puma Shen’s stance on drug policies. Shen supports existing harm-reduction measures like methadone treatment and needle-exchange programs, which are already operational in Taipei. Methadone, classified as a Category 2 narcotic in Taiwan, is used under medical supervision to treat heroin dependence, while needle-exchange programs remain a critical harm-reduction strategy.