Losing youth in the 'vortex' of drugs

From addict to drug criminal

The trial of defendant Ha Van Duong (30 years old), residing in Chau Hoan commune, Quy Chau district, for the crime of "Illegal possession of narcotics" took place on a day in early April 2025. In the cold of late winter, Duong sat huddled in the middle of the large courtroom. In addition to his biological parents, Duong also had adoptive parents and many siblings. But on the day of the trial, not a single relative came to visit Duong.

When asked, the defendant sadly said that since his arrest, he rarely had any relatives come to visit him. Therefore, he always missed his family and parents. The defendant did not understand why no one came to court today. "Everyone must still be angry with me," Duong mumbled as if to console himself.

Ha Van Duong was the youngest of three children. His family was poor, so he dropped out after a few years of studying. Without any education or job, mountain boys like Duong could only go into the forest to make acacia, earning a few tens to hundreds of thousands of dong a day, with food provided by their employers.

Entering life early, lacking courage and being a show-off, Ha Van Duong got involved in drugs. Knowing that Duong was addicted, his relatives tried their best to advise him, even trying to find ways to help him break away from this deadly hallucination. However, his old habits were the same, every time he stopped "playing" for a few days, he would go crazy again, looking for any way to earn money to buy drugs.

Because of his addiction, Duong had difficulty finding a stable job like his peers. All the hard-earned money he earned, he spent on drugs. That deadly substance can turn a rich man into a beggar, let alone a poor guy like Duong.

When he had no money to satisfy his addiction, Ha Van Duong took a risk by illegally buying and selling drugs. In 2017, he was sentenced to 2 years in prison for "Illegal drug trafficking".

After serving his prison sentence, Duong returned to his hometown. But those years of living in a “prisoner’s life” did not really break his addiction. The weight of money combined with the “magic” that drugs brought, once again defeated the young man’s determination to “break away from the past and start a new life”. This time, he bought a large amount of drugs to support his increasingly heavy drug habit.

According to the indictment, on the afternoon of November 21, 2024, Ha Van Duong hitched a ride to Quang Phong commune, Que Phong district. After that, he walked along the trail into the forest and met a man (identity unknown). Duong proposed to buy 14 million VND worth of drugs. The two parties agreed to buy 5 packages of pink phien (priced at 10 million VND) and 4 million VND to buy heroin. Because it was late at night, Duong stayed in the forest.

The next morning, Duong walked from the forest area to the road to catch a bus home and was arrested by the police. At this time, Duong voluntarily took out the drugs from his pocket and handed them over to the police. The investigation agency determined that Ha Van Duong must bear criminal responsibility for possessing more than 100 grams of drugs.

Bury youth in prison

In front of the witness stand, defendant Ha Van Duong honestly admitted his crime. The defendant stated that the purpose of buying drugs was to store them for later use, not to sell them. Regarding the money used to buy various drugs, Duong stated that he earned 200,000 VND per day from working as a porter of acacia trees.

“People strive to work, earn money to take care of the future, develop themselves, and take care of their families, but the defendant used all the money to buy drugs. What do you think about that?”, in response to the judge’s question, Duong mumbled an excuse that it was due to his long-term drug addiction. Because of his loose lifestyle, he was a slave to drugs for many years.

The judge continued to question: “Have you ever thought about quitting drugs to start your life over?” Duong said he had. However, after returning from prison, the drug addicts persuaded him to turn to drugs whenever he was sad or tired. Just like that, he plunged into the pleasures of white smoke. And now, at the age of 30, Duong’s only “achievements” are days immersed in smoke and prison.

During his second trial, defendant Ha Van Duong sometimes expressed regret for his mistakes. Regret for letting his youth pass by in vain. Regret for "throwing" his health and money into the drug spiral. Along with that was regret and a sense of guilt towards his relatives, especially his elderly parents, for his continuous mistakes. At the trial, the defendant did not forget to apologize to his family and relatives even though no one was present at the trial.

Through the trial, the panel of judges also reminded everyone, especially young people, to always be vigilant about drugs. Do not try it even once because of a moment of fun or the temptation to prove yourself. Because the effects of drugs are very dangerous, it causes users to become psychotic, lose their minds, and even commit crimes like the defendant.

Before the jury deliberated, Ha Van Duong was given the right to have the last word. After a moment of silence, the defendant only uttered one sentence: "I don't know what to say." Only when prompted did Duong ask the jury to consider reducing his sentence so that he could soon return to his family and start a new life.

However, the law is not lenient towards any crime. The defendant's actions seriously violated the law, endangering society, and drugs are the root of many other crimes. Therefore, strict handling is necessary. The jury sentenced defendant Ha Van Duong to 16 years in prison. As for the drug dealer, because his background has not been determined, the investigation agency does not have enough grounds to handle him.

The sentence is a warning to those who disregard the law and engage in drug-related crimes. Drugs not only rob people of their future but also lead them to irreversible consequences. No amount of profit can compensate for the price of freedom...

Tran Vu - Dang Nguyen