More than 50,000 drug addicts across Viet Nam received methadone treatment over the past four years. — Photo baophutho.vn

HÀ NỘI – More than 50,000 drug addicts across Viet Nam received methadone treatment over the past four years.

This was part of a drug detoxification project which was approved in 2013 by the Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng.

The results were declared in a conference held in Hà Nội yesterday by the Department for Social Vices Prevention under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA).

Under the project, organisations and individuals founded more than 20 private detoxification centres besides 110 state ones, said director of the department Nguyễn Xuân Lập.

However, he said, the project implementation had met many difficulties.

The centres’ services and infrastructure was poor and did not meet people’s demand, while psychological therapy quality was limited.

The rate of relapsing into drug addiction was high, at more than 90 per cent, he said.

Moreover, the number of drug addicts has continued to increase. On average, it increased about 6-8 per cent yearly.

Speaking about the issue, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyễn Trọng Đàm said, “The country has strived and used different measures, but crimes related to drugs are still complicated and increasing yearly.”

“Crimes related to drugs are more and more bold, drugs are trafficked in great amounts via different methods,” he said.

In Viet Nam, drug use and abuse also rose. Incomplete MOLISA statistics showed that the country had more than 200,000 drug addicts. But real number was much higher.

“Most drug addicts are under 35 years old, who should be the main labour force for the country,” he said.

One more problem is that eight per cent of drug addicts are students.

At present, 70 per cent of communes in the country are home to drug addicts.

“Many rural areas used to be peaceful, but now they are no longer peaceful because of drug addicts worrying local residents,” he said.

Deputy Minister Đàm added that crystal methamphetamine was much more dangerous than other kinds of drug, and many criminal cases were related to the drug.

“The struggle against drugs and drug users is still serious,” he said.

Director Lập said that to better conduct drug detoxification, education about the issue should be strengthened, especially in communes with drug addicts.

Supportive policies for trainees at detoxification centres will be checked and improved to aid detoxification.

More workers on the issue will be trained and more infrastructure will be built.

MOLISA plans more research on drug addicts, he said. – VNS