Hanoi (VNA) –Drug prevention and control activities must be put under the leadership and directionof the Party Committees and administration at all levels, especially thegrassroots level, with the People’s Public Security force playing the key role but not theonly force in the work, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at an onlineconference on drug prevention and control on March 10.

PM Chinh highlighted theParty and State’s efforts in designing drug prevention and control mechanismsand policies, including the National Assembly’s adoption of the Drug Preventionand Control Law that took effect from January 1, 2022.

Amid the current complicateddrug trafficking situation in the world, especially in the Golden Triangle, Vietnamhas actively launched drug raids in major areas, while rolling out effectiveand synchronous measures against drug trafficking and strengtheninginternational cooperation in the work, he said.

However, theGovernment leader pointed out that the coordination among the administration atall levels, sectors and agencies in drug prevention and control remains limited, with the wrong thinking of relying entirely on the publicsecurity force to do the job.

PM Chinh stressed thatdrug is a global as well as national problem, so a global approach is needed withclose coordination among countries and international organisations, while on the national scale it requires the engagement of the whole political system and people from all walks of life. 

He underlined the needto pay greater attention to anti-drug activities at grassroots level, focusingon groups with high risks.

The PM orderedministries, sectors and localities to continue to review and perfect the legalsystem regarding drug prevention and control, and strengthen internationalcollaboration in the work.

He requested the Ministryof Public Security to concentrate on erasing drug hotspots and tightening the management of drug addicts.

The Ministry ofNational Defence was asked to closely control the border and work with theMinistry of Public Security to fight drug criminals in land and sea borderareas.

The Ministry of Finance,Ministry of Industry and Trade and Ministry of Health were told to make proposals on the supplementation and adjustments of legal regulations relatedto drug prevention and control and the tackling of drug trafficking crimesunder the cover of business activities.

Meanwhile, theMinistry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs was asked to assess theefficiency of community-based detoxification measures, and the Ministry ofInformation and Communications was assigned to increase communication activities againstdrug.

Localities nationwidewere also requested to form their own steering committees on drug prevention andcontrol and design their anti-drug plans.

According to theMinistry of Public Security, amid the complicated world situation and theintroduction of more new kinds of drugs, the ministry, as the standing agencyfor drug prevention and control of the National Committee for the Preventionand Control of AIDS, Drug and Prostitution, has coordinated with other ministries,sectors and localities to implement drastic measures against drug criminals,while strengthening anti-drug cooperation with neighbouring countries to preventthe trafficking of drug to Vietnam, thus not letting Vietnam to be aninternational drug transit point.

Last year, anti-drug forces from the Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of National Defenceand Ministry of Finance brought to light 26,967 drug trafficking cases involving 41,308suspects, seizing 809 kilos of heroin, 6.1 tonnes of meths, 867 kilos ofmarijuana and over 1 tonne of other drugs. The forces erased 460 hotspots and discovered 1,563 establishments allowing drug use during their business./.