Nghe An: Received and organized drug rehabilitation for 9,456 drug addicts

(Baonghean.vn) - On the morning of August 18, the Provincial People's Committee held a conference to summarize 5 years of the Drug Rehabilitation and Post-Rehabilitation Management Program for the period 2011 - 2015; deploy the Regulations on coordination in preparing records, considering the application of drug rehabilitation measures and organizing drug rehabilitation in Nghe An province.

Comrade Le Xuan Dai - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee chaired. Comrades Nguyen Huu Cau - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Provincial Police; Nguyen Bang Toan - Director of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs; Ho Dinh Trung - Chief Justice of the Provincial People's Court co-chaired.

Attending the conference were representatives of leaders of provincial departments, branches and sectors; members of the standing unit for prevention and control of social evils and AIDS; the Standing Committee for Drug Addiction Prevention and Control and representatives of leaders of provincial centers for social work and post-drug rehabilitation management...

Conference overview.

Over the past 5 years (2011-2015), drug rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation management have received attention and direction from Party committees and authorities at all levels. The entire political system has been mobilized to participate, and the awareness of officials and people about the harmful effects of drug abuse and the benefits of drug rehabilitation methods has been significantly raised.

The comrades chaired the conference.

Up to now, after 5 years of implementation, the whole province has received and organized drug addiction treatment for 9,456 people. Of which, treatment at the Social Labor Education Center for 4,328 people, accounting for 45.8% of the total number of drug addicts receiving drug addiction treatment; treatment in the community and family for 5,128 people, accounting for 54.2% of the total number of drug addicts receiving drug addiction treatment. In addition, the province has built and expanded drug addiction treatment models in the community and operated relatively effectively, such as the Drug Addiction Treatment and Post-Rehabilitation Management Model at Family and Community; the Military-Civilian-Medical Model for Drug Addiction Treatment and Solving Post-Rehabilitation Social Issues for Drug Addicts in Border Communes...

Staff of Ky Son Military and Civilian Medical Clinic advise on methadone treatment for drug addicts. Photo: Hai Thuong.

In addition to organizing drug rehabilitation and managing post-rehabilitation subjects, vocational training is also focused. The whole province has organized vocational training for 2,136 people at social labor education centers, and vocational training for 1,277 post-rehabilitation subjects in the community. The trained professions are close to practical requirements, helping subjects after returning to their localities to have the opportunity to find jobs and reintegrate into the community quickly. There have been many cases of post-rehabilitation drug addicts who have not relapsed and have been effective in economic activities, and have been commended by authorities at all levels.

Drug addicts learn bamboo and rattan weaving at Nghe An Social Labor and Education Center 1. Photo by Tran Duc Thang.

Along with drug rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation management, propaganda work is always given top priority. It mainly focuses on considering drug prevention and suppression as the root cause; besides, it is necessary to change the awareness of addicts and their families, and encourage addicts to voluntarily undergo drug rehabilitation at the facility.

In addition to the achievements, the conference also frankly pointed out that although drug abuse in the province has decreased, it is still complicated, the number of addicts is still increasing; drug buying, selling and using activities are increasingly sophisticated with many tricks, making it difficult to fight and eradicate. Post-rehabilitation management in localities needs to be implemented with the right focus, close to reality, avoiding relapse as has happened recently. The biggest problem in the past 5 years, as pointed out by the Director of the Provincial Police, is that up to 4 districts have not implemented compulsory drug addiction treatment in the past, including: Dien Chau, Do Luong, Anh Son and Quy Hop districts.

Comrade Nguyen Huu Cau directed the police sector to have a strong shift in awareness and determination to fight and prevent drug trafficking and use crimes most effectively.

At this conference, the Provincial People's Committee and relevant sectors deployed the Regulation on coordination in preparing records, reviewing, deciding on applying drug rehabilitation measures and organizing drug rehabilitation in the province. The Regulation has 3 chapters, 14 articles, focusing on a number of contents: Determining the form of rehabilitation; time for applying rehabilitation measures; organizing the management of drug addicts without a stable place of residence during the time of preparing records to apply measures of compulsory drug rehabilitation... The coordination regulation will take effect from May 19, 2016.

Concluding the conference, comrade Le Xuan Dai emphasized: If we want to have no more drug addicts in society, the entire political system must join in resolutely.

Concluding the conference, the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested departments, branches, districts, towns and cities to continue to strengthen leadership in implementing policies on drug prevention and control, drug rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation management in the coming time; step up propaganda work, raise awareness among all classes of people; continue to implement forms and measures of drug rehabilitation according to the provisions of the Law on Drug Prevention and Control; focus on implementing measures to socialize drug rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation management based on the community; strengthen work, inspection and supervision; build healthy communes, wards and towns free of drug abuse; strengthen forces to stay close to the area, grasp the situation of drug activities in key localities to have preventive solutions, promptly and effectively combat and prevent.

He emphasized that drugs impoverish families and society, destroy the race and have many other consequences, so all levels, sectors and the whole society must take drastic action by many forms of bringing addicts to rehabilitation and effectively managing them after rehabilitation.

Awarding Certificates of Merit to 10 groups with outstanding achievements in drug addiction treatment and post-treatment management in the period 2011-2015.

At the conference, the Provincial People's Committee awarded Certificates of Merit to 10 groups and 8 individuals with achievements in drug rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation management in the period 2011-2015.

South Scene