The law-making National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on Friday agreed to a government proposal to allow local administrations to establish compulsory drug detoxification centers amid worries about the rising number of drug addicts and their appearance in public places.
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During a meeting yesterday, the committee said it will raise the issue for discussion at an NA sitting on November 10.
The NA will issue a resolution on it if the majority of deputies give the green light to the proposition, the committee added.
This is seen as a bid to help resolve drug problems and drive back drug addiction in Vietnam.
The committee also requested that the government amend its Decree 221/2013 on the applicable administrative procedures in bringing addicts into compulsory detoxification facilities.
The said proposal was brought forward after Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung had a meeting with competent agencies on Monday to discuss measures to better manage drug addicts, improve the efficiency of drug detoxification, and battle drug addiction nationwide.
The meeting came to a conclusion that obligatory drug detoxification centers should be set up so that the agencies concerned can temporarily stop drug addicts’ rush on the spot, offer them preliminary detoxification, and provide them with initial psychological consultancy pending orders issued by courts to officially admit them to rehab centers.
Pursuant to the Law on the Handling of Administrative Violations, which took effect on January 1, 2014, addicts can be sent to a drug detoxification facility only when a court judgment is issued for this purpose and when they fail to stay sober after being monitored for three to six months by local authorities.
In practice, such regulations are unfeasible, as most drug addicts are homeless so they cannot be put under any supervision, relevant agencies said.
The regulations have made it hard to send addicts to rehab centers for compulsory detoxification, they said.
Speaking at an NA meeting on October 29, Minister of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen said only 33 drug addicts were admitted to such facilities in 10 provinces and cities nine months after the implementation of the law.
In a report delivered to the NA the same day, Minister Chuyen also said the number of drug addicts in Vietnam increases by 7,000 every year and the figure stood at over 200,000 as of September.
Meanwhile, the number of drug addicts seen in public places has risen significantly, worrying the public, she added.
According to the Ministry of Public Security, the country now has 10 hot spots of drug addiction, with Hanoi, Son La, and Ho Chi Minh City topping the list.
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