A call for community action on drug abuse prevention

(LSO) – To deal with the serious situation of complicated criminal and illegal drug trade in the province of Lang Son, the Steering Committee for preventing and combating drug abuse, crime and social evils, and building  a provincial the national security of the province (BCD138) led the functional forces and agencies to strengthen the propaganda and fight drug-related crimes, towards building the community without drug addicts and users.  Colonel Vu Hong Quang, Deputy Director of the provincial Public Security Department cum Deputy Head of the provincial Steering Committee of BCD 138 said that in recent years the Steering Committee of the province has regularly directed the functional forces to screen, fight, and dismantle groups having been connected to trading and / or transporting narcotics in large quantities with the motto “reduce supply, reduce demand, reduce harmful effects”.

From 2017 up to present, 1,106 cases and 1,856 subjects violating the law on drugs have been arrested, including investigating and containing 110 lines, arresting 234 transnational human traffickers, destroying 310 kg of heroin, 137,203 pills and 509 kg of synthetic drugs.

Patients of Lang Son Rehabilitation Center participating in vocational training classes

Through the fight against social evils and crimes, the investigation agencies at all levels have prosecuted and investigated 1,084 cases with 1,595 defendants; Lang Son People’s Procuracy prosecuted 1,060 cases, 1,512 defendants; Local People’s Courts at all levels judged1,141 cases and 1,631 defendants were charged with drug offenses, of which 107 defendants were sentenced to death for drug offenses.

Along with the struggle to suppress criminals, sectors and unions at all levels, from the provinces to grassroots levels, have actively coordinated to carry out the propaganda, raise awareness of officials, party members and people of all classes on drug prevention, and customize the contents and forms of propagada suitable to the target subjects. The content of propaganda is designed with an emphasis on highlighting the consequences and harmful effects of drug addiction; clarifying responsibilities of organizations and individuals in preventing, detecting, denouncing and participating in the provincial struggle against drug-related crimes and helping recovered drug abuse patients to reintegrate into the community; maintaining and replicating bright examples in the fight against social crimes and drug abuse.

Annually, The BCD 138 Steering Committee of the province carry out a monthly action plan on drug prevention, which directs the provincial Youth Union to organize a rally and parade in response to the “International Day of Drug Prevention”. and the “All people against drugs” (June 26) attracted the attendance and participation of youth union members and local people. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thao, Secretary of  Youth Union of Vinh Trai ward, Lang Son city said that to raise local people’s awareness of the harmful effects and avoid drugs and addictive substances, the Youth Union regularly propagates and integrates the informative reports in monthly meeting and periodical activities, uploading materials on social media such as zalo, distributing leaflets to schools … At the same time, we encourage and allow our members to participate in propaganda activities in response to the monthly action plans on Drug Abuse Prevention.

From 2017 to now, the local government, agencies and unions at all levels of the province have organized more than 20,000 propaganda sessions; published over 7,000 different propaganda including news, articles and reports; distributed more than 100,000 propaganda materials on the prevention of crime and drug evils. When local people’s awareness is raised, they will actively take part in denunciation of crimes,  advise their family member to join drug rehabilitation center and take medication treatment as well as vocational training.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Tuan, Director of Department of Labor – Invalids and Social Affairs told that now the total number of  recorded drug addicts in the whole province is 3,112, of which 258 people are taking treatment at rehabilitation centers. Here, the local security and order is always maintained and guaranteed. Patients can participate in vocational training classes to have the opportunity to find jobs after when recovering and returning to their communities. In the first 6 months of 2020, it is recorded that 73 recovered patients reintegrated into the community. It is hoped that the local authorities and entrepreneurs will pay greater attention to these special subjects to create more employment opportunities for them with the aim to assist them stabilize their normal lives and avoid being re-addicted.

The above mentioned statistics have proved the province’s efforts in the fight against drug-related crimes in the province. In the coming years, the provincial Steering Committee of BCD 138 will continue to direct functional forces to promote propaganda; increase the productivity of drug prevention and control agencies and groups; identify and promptly prevent drug crime lines and groups to maintain the provincial security and order.