For effective drug addiction treatment and post-treatment management

(Baonghean) - Although all levels, sectors and the community have actively participated in organizing drug rehabilitation for addicts, along with strengthening post-rehabilitation management, this activity has not yet brought about high results. This requires more efforts from all levels, sectors, local authorities as well as addicts themselves and their families.

Not very effective

As of November 2014, 21/21 districts, cities and towns in the province have drug addicts; 376/480 communes, wards and towns have drug problems, accounting for 78.3%. Of these, 141 communes, wards and towns are identified as drug hotspots, accounting for 38%. There are currently 66 drug hotspots and more than 340 drug retail hotspots in the province. The above statistics show great pressure on drug rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation management at all levels, sectors, communities and families. According to a report by the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the province currently has 7,279 drug addicts with records. However, the actual number of drug addicts may be much larger than the statistics. Another issue of concern is that the number of drug addicts using synthetic drugs and methamphetamine is increasing, focusing on young people.

Sewing class at Social Labor Education Center I.

In recent years, all levels, sectors and social communities in the province have focused on and mobilized all social resources to carry out drug addiction treatment and post-treatment management. Accordingly, there are two main drug addiction treatment models implemented in localities; one is to send drug addicts to drug addiction treatment and post-treatment management centers (the whole province has 8 centers with the function of drug addiction treatment and post-treatment management); the other is drug addiction treatment at home and in the community. In general, the two models have initially brought certain effectiveness in drug addiction treatment and post-treatment management. At the Social Labor Education Center I, under the Department of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs, it is currently managing and organizing drug addiction treatment for 140 people, including 119 compulsory drug addiction treatment students and 21 voluntary drug addiction treatment students.

Students entering the center are supported with treatment for withdrawal, detoxification, education, counseling, and help to stabilize their psychology, health, and prevent relapse, and are also supported with vocational training, welding, rattan weaving, animal husbandry, etc. According to Mr. Nguyen Huu Hong - Head of Community Education Consulting Department, Social Labor Education Center I: "100% of students after receiving support for withdrawal, detoxification, and returning to the community, the test results are all free of drugs. In particular, the time spent at the center helps addicts isolate themselves from the outside environment, isolate themselves from drugs, and are equipped with more knowledge and understanding to resist temptations after returning to the community...".

As for the form of rehabilitation at home and in the community, according to Mr. Truong Sy Nhuan - Head of Dien Ky Commune Police (Dien Chau), the community rehabilitation model helps to relieve addiction for the subjects as soon as possible. This model is humane, reduces discrimination against addicts, and does not separate addicts from the community and family. However, the effectiveness is not high due to family management. Explaining that the number of drug addicts in the area is still increasing, Mr. Truong Sy Nhuan added that the drug trafficking situation is very complicated, bad subjects find every way to lure addicts, while these subjects are often unemployed, have limited qualifications...

The above situation shows that the effectiveness of drug addiction treatment and relapse prevention is not high, the resources for drug addiction treatment are not enough and the drug addiction treatment solutions are not effective. There are also cases of successful drug addiction treatment but the rate is still low. After being supported with the necessary conditions through two drug addiction treatment models at the center, or family, community, if there is no will, strong efforts from each person and families with addicts, it is very difficult to successfully treat drug addiction. That explains why the relapse rate after treatment is still high. In contact with some drug addicts, we recorded some of their confidences, although they really want to quit to reduce suffering for themselves and their families, but when returning to their hometown, contacting old people, contacting the everyday environment, combined with the difficulties in life, drugs re-enter. Someone confided: “At first, when I returned from a drug rehabilitation center, wherever I went and whatever I did, my family followed me closely. After about a year, they saw that I was no longer involved with drugs, so they felt secure. But because I had no job and had to be independent, I became addicted again.” This is a worrying reality in post-rehabilitation management in localities.

Diversify forms of drug addiction treatment

Now, an addict is defined as a sick person and according to the Law on Handling of Administrative Violations, effective from July 30, 2014, the authority to decide to send addicts to compulsory drug rehabilitation facilities belongs to the People's Court at the district level (replacing the authority of the Chairman of the People's Committee at the district level before). To specify the provisions of the Law on Handling of Administrative Violations related to addicts, the Government issued Decree 221/2013/ND-CP, dated December 30, 2013, stipulating the regime of applying administrative measures to send addicts to compulsory drug rehabilitation facilities. And to have a court decision to send an addict to a center, one must go through many steps and prescribed procedures, making addicts and their families "afraid".

According to the report from the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, by November 15, 2014, drug rehabilitation centers had received and managed 1,252 students, of which 937 students were transferred in 2013, and only 315 students were newly admitted in 2014. Of the 315 newly admitted students, 147 were forced to undergo rehabilitation, of which 69 had their records established according to Decree 221 of the Government; 78 subjects were signed by the People's Committees at the district level to be sent to rehabilitation centers before January 1, 2014. Due to procedural difficulties, the number of people sent to compulsory rehabilitation centers in the province since the beginning of the year has reached 5% compared to the same period last year. Many localities are still confused and 11 districts and towns have not sent people to compulsory rehabilitation centers according to Decree 221 of the Government.

From the difficulties and problems that are arising, according to Mr. Vi Ngoc Quynh - Deputy Director of the Department of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs, the implementation of Decree 221 of the Government is being directed by the Provincial People's Committee to relevant sectors to coordinate to remove them in order to strengthen management, bring addicts to rehabilitation centers and rehabilitation at home and in the community, contributing to ensuring security and general order in the province. At the same time, in order for the rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation work to be of high quality, it is necessary to first cut the "supply" by promoting the prevention and combat of drug trafficking and possession crimes; actively eliminate drug trafficking hotspots and hotspots, creating a healthier social environment.

At the same time, strengthen screening, grasp the number of addicts, promote propaganda on drug prevention, raise awareness, sense of responsibility of addicts themselves and sense of responsibility of families and communities in drug rehabilitation. Continue to diversify forms of drug rehabilitation at home, community, voluntary and compulsory drug rehabilitation; expand the Methadone treatment model. Identify communes, wards and residential areas as key areas for the goal of effectively implementing drug prevention, drug rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation management. Thereby, build and manage healthy areas without social evils, organize drug rehabilitation, post-rehabilitation management at home and community, connect counseling services, vocational training support, and job creation based on available local resources.

It is known that drug addiction treatment and solving post-treatment social problems is an extremely difficult and complicated task. However, all levels have had synchronous solutions, so it requires more efforts, perseverance and active participation of authorities at all levels, close coordination between sectors, organizations and localities. And, most importantly, the efforts of the addicts themselves and their families, clans and local communities.

Minh Chi - Le Thanh