
Drug rehabilitation centers in China are using VR to treat addicts
But nobody has been cured via VR therapy yet
While many debate whether virtual reality is addictive, China is trying to use it to cure addiction.
The system will first trigger drug cravings by immersing them in scenes that they’re familiar with, like drug users gathering in a room, or the sound of drugs burning in a pipe. That’s quickly followed by videos of police busting down the door -- and more disgusting scenes, like rotten teeth or maggots gnawing on skin.
The treatment then ends with heartwarming scenes of peaceful family life.
The headsets can track eye movement as well as an electrocardiograph system. Together it records a person’s reaction, and can allegedly measure how much they’re still craving drugs.

$1.5 billion virtual reality theme park opens in China
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For more insights into China tech, sign up for our tech newsletters, subscribe to our Inside China Tech podcast, and download the comprehensive 2019 China Internet Report. Also roam China Tech City, an award-winning interactive digital map at our sister site Abacus.
