Prime Minister honors role models in drug crime combat

Addressing the event, Pham said drug crimes must be seen as the enemy of development and a common enemy of all, thus we need to stay united to prevent, push back and eradicate this social evil.

Drugs cause damages to health and peaceful life of our people, losses and pains to many families and communities, and threaten satability, prosperity and the permanance of a nation.

Around 275 million people used drugs worldwide in the last year, while over 36 million people suffered from drug use disorders, according to the 2021 World Drug Report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

In Viet Nam, there are about 196,000 drug addicts documented, the majority of them are unemployed, posing potential risk of crime and social instability.

Illicit drug addition is increasing at schools and among young people, according to the Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, drug criminals are becoming increasingly reckless and venturesome, making it harder for competent authorities to deal with this kind of crime.

Prime Minister Pham expressed his gratitude to the officers who have made tireless efforts, surmounted difficulties, and braved dangers to fight against drug crimes, including those laying down their lives or getting injured in the fight.

Pham ordered ministries, agencies, and localities to strengthen leadership and promote their leaders' role and responsibility towards the fight.

He emphasized the need to continue reviewing and perfecting legal documents to create a synchronous and sufficient legal basis for drug prevention and control.

Meanwhile, it is necessary to boost communications and education about the harm of drugs in the community, especially among the youth and students, he noted. 

Besides, the Prime Minister asked for ramping up the crackdown on hotspots and trans-provincial and transnational trafficking rings while upgrading infrastructure and improving the quality of rehabilitation facilities and post-rehabilitation management.

Pham called on countries, international organizations, individuals, organizations and benefactors to continue support and make practical and effective contributions to Viet Nam's drug prevention and control.

The Ministry of Public Security reported that the criminal investigation police, in coordination with the border guard, customs and coast guard forces, uncovered more than 23,000 drug-related cases and arrested more than 32,000 individuals involved on average annually.

The outstanding achievements of the drug prevention and control forces came at the cost of sacrifices and losses. Twenty-eight police and military officers and citizens have los their lives, and over 700 officers and soldiers have been injured or exposed to HIV while carrying out their duties./.