Central Asia (CA) and China are key regions in terms of international efforts to tackle illicit drug trafficking and the problems related to it such as addiction. Modern and effective approaches to treating drug use disorders, according to the UN/WHO International Treatment Standards, exist in all countries but lack institutionalisation and require further expansion and harmonisation. NGOs, an important part of efficient and sustainable drug policies, are weak in all countries and lack a working basis. Of increasing importance is the promotion of social work training in Central Asian countries and China, which in Europe and especially in Germany plays a central role in the prevention and treatment of drug dependence and its health and social consequences. But social work as a means of reducing these problems is still in its infancy in both Central Asia and China.