For a drug free community

(Baonghean.vn) - Drugs have become a threat to humanity, seriously affecting the socio-economy and harming the community. Responding to the call of the United Nations, Vietnam has designated June every year as the "Month of Action against Drugs" and June 26 as "National Day against Drugs". This action aims to mobilize the cooperation of society in drug prevention and control, towards the goal of building a community free of drugs.

There are over 315 million drug addicts in the world. In Vietnam, the number of drug addicts is getting younger with over 170,000 people being counted. Drugs have infiltrated every corner of society, and can knock anyone down if they let their guard down for a moment. Not only does it cost tens of billions of dollars worldwide and about 3,500 billion VND to Vietnam each year, drugs are also the cause of many types of crimes and social evils.

Statistics from the authorities show that about 70% of crimes each year are committed by drug addicts or are related to drugs. Many murder cases are caused by a moment of losing control of their behavior, and addicts kill their loved ones. Drugs are also the shortest way to spread the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Drugs destroy the future of youth. Photo: illustration.

Over the past twenty years, with the support of international organizations, Vietnam has vigorously implemented drug prevention and control work by establishing and operating drug rehabilitation centers in many localities. However, according to the assessment of the functional sector, the effectiveness of drug rehabilitation in recent times has not been high, the relapse rate is still over 90%, the reason is said to be due to the incorrect perception of drug addicts.

For a long time, they were considered social evils, even criminals. Therefore, drug addiction treatment was carried out in compulsory centers with strictly managed living and education regimes. Drug addiction treatment only focused on treatment of withdrawal and isolation of students without paying due attention to training skills for families to provide psychological support, helping addicts reintegrate into the community after treatment.

The wrong perception has unintentionally made drug addicts lose faith in life, feel alienated from the community because of the feeling of being discriminated against and shunned. In reality, drug addiction is a chronic disease, patients need to be treated for a long time and treated like normal patients. Along with drug treatment, it is necessary to encourage the self-treatment mechanism by the patient's own awareness to overcome mistakes.

Anti-drug propaganda poster. Source: internet.

Instead of punishment, let's increase sharing activities to help addicts voluntarily participate in treatment. That is the goal that the Government's Project on Drug Rehabilitation Innovation aims for, aiming to gradually reduce compulsory treatment at centers, increase voluntary treatment in the community; enhance the role of family and society in psychological counseling, health care as well as life skills guidance, and career support to help drug addicts reintegrate after rehabilitation.

International experience shows that once drug abuse is considered a public health problem, a health disorder, society will have more scientific and compassionate interventions, patients will receive more support, and they will be more confident in themselves and their lives.

The situation of drug abuse and addictive substances is becoming more and more complicated. Therefore, there will be no single addiction treatment model, no treatment regimen that is right for everyone. Promote the socialization of addiction treatment with many models in the community, so that these models are not only places for treatment, but also places for families and society to share in the spirit of humanity and tolerance. Only then will those who have fallen have the confidence to stand up and become useful people for their families and society.

Van Thieng