Jackie Chan having fun as he records the song "Life" for the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on 26 June. (Photo : www.superchanblog.blogspot.com)
Jackie Chan remains as one of the most active celebrities against illegal drugs, despite his son's arrest over drug charges. He is part of the recording of an anti-narcotics song set to air on major television networks in China on the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26. This generated a lot of mean comments, according to the news network Ming Pao.
Chan performed a one-liner in the song "Life," with celebrities Cai Guoqing, Yisa Yu and Cheng Fangyuan singing the rest. Chan also took part in a video recording of an anti-drug campaign.
While Chan has been named as China's anti-drug ambassador, his son, Jaycee Chan, was caught and charged with sheltering others to take drugs after testing positive for marijuana, with the police reporting that they found 100 grams at his Beijing residence.
Jaycee Chan served a six-month sentence for his drug charges and was later released from a Chinese jail in February.
Chan continues to participate in anti-drug campaigns, despite facing credibility issues due to his son's stint in jail. He says he plans to be a lifetime anti-drug ambassador.
"I felt guilty, ashamed, and thought that I should resign from the anti-drug ambassador. But if I did so, it would mean that I succumb to drug dealers. Now my family and I become victims of narcotics so I will continue my effort and I want to be a life-time anti-drug ambassador," Chan said in a report by China's state media Xinhua News Agency.
The older Chan received widespread criticism for the younger's crime, but the "anti-drug ambassador" title remained.
Chan also said that he hopes his son, now released from jail, will join in ant-drug campaign to share his own experience to the youth and to educate and encourage them to steer clear of illegal drugs.
Chan was recently questioned about his son's case while attending a TV show in China. He said he was grateful for the work that Chinese police do, as they help make good things out of bad situations.
Chan was happy to report that there have been several positive changes in his son, after the latter was released from jail. The father also said that his son will participate in the production of an anti-drug movie to be released later this year.
Chan did not seem to gain support from some Chinese netizens, who considered the anti-drug song to be a big joke, while others commented that Chan should just go home, and sing the song to his own son. Others were more positive, saying that the father does not need to take responsibility for the mistakes his son did.
There is an estimated 14 million drug addicts in China, reported The Paper. It was in 2009 that Chan's appointment as anti-drug ambassador by China's National Narcotics Control Commission took place.
Early in 2015, Jackie Chan was also named anti-drug ambassador to Singapore.
