A photo exhibition on drug danger (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – A conference on drugharms and deterrence took place in Hanoi on June 14 with a focus onrehabilitation activities.
Discussion revolved around a range of issues,such as measures to rehabilitate drug addicts, including community-basedtreatment, and effective public communications campaigns.
Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and SocialAffairs (MoLISA) Nguyen Trong Dam stressed that the number of drug users inVietnam is on the rise, which is likely to disturb security and socialdevelopment.
The number amounts to about 210,000 peoplenationwide; most of them are under 35 and about 8 percent are adolescents.
While the success of rehabilitation relieslargely on the addicts themselves, the aid from families and communities isalso important, Dam noted.
Head of the MoLISA Social Evils PreventionDepartment Nguyen Xuan Lap said society need a change in perception about drugusers, as well as in the approach to help addicts wean their addiction.
Khuat Thi Hai Oanh, Executive Director of theCentre for Supporting Community Development Initiatives (SCDI), said effectiverehabilitation need the involvement of the entire community.
She stressed the importance of preventativemeasures and capacity of medical staff.
At the conference, Tran Quoc Thong, a representativefrom the Khanh Hoa Social Evils Prevention Department, introduced the local modelof voluntary drug detoxification, adding that a consultation network is key tothe programme.
According to him, the local network havesupported 389 drug users and helped 36 addicts successfully cut the habit.-VNA
VNA
