Decision No. 1001/QD-TTg dated june 27, 2011 approving the national strategy for drug prevention, combat and control in Vietnam through 2020, and orientations toward 2030

THE PRIME MINISTER

Decision No. 1001/QD-TTg dated june 27, 2011 approving the national strategy for drug prevention, combat and control in Vietnam through 2020, and orientations toward 2030

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;

Pursuant to the December 9, 2000 Law on Drug Prevention and Combat, and the June 3, 2008 Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Drug Prevention and Combat;

Pursuant to the Political Bureau's Directive No. 21-CT/TW of March 26, 2008, on further enhancing the leadership and direction of the work of drug prevention, combat and control in the new situation;

At the proposal of the Minister of Public Security,

DECIDES:

Article 1. To approve the national strategy for drug prevention, combat and control in Vietnam through 2020, and orientations toward 2030, attached to this Decision.

Article 2. This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing.

Article 3. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, and chairpersons of provincial-level People's Committees shall implement this Decision.-

For the Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
TRUONG VINH TRONG

NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR DRUG PREVENTION, COMBAT AND CONTROL IN VIETNAM THROUGH 2020, AND ORIENTATIONS TOWARD 2030
(Promulgated together with the Prime Minister's Decision No. 1001/QD-TTg of June 27, 2011)

Part I

CONTEXT OF PROMULGATION OF THE STRATEGY

The drug evil has become a major threat to mankind. It has caused very serious economic, cultural, social and security-defense consequen­ces, harmed the health of a section of population and at the same time given rise to different crimes, threatening the stability, prosperity and lasting existence of each country or nation.

Fully aware of the importance of drug prevention and combat, in the past years, the Party and State have adopted many guidelines and policies and directed the improvement of the legal system on drug prevention and combat. The reviews of 10 years' implementation of Directive No. 06-CT/TW of November 30, 1996, on enhancing (he leadership and direction of drug prevent ion, combat and control and 5 years' implementation of the master plan on drug prevention and combat through 2010 show that: Thanks to the coordinated implementation of drastic measures, drug prevention, combat and control have achieved important results in many areas; awareness of cadres. Party members and people about the harms of" the drug evil and their responsibilities for drug prevention and combat have seen positive improvements, contributing to step by step reining in this evil; the re-growing of narcotic-bearing plants has basically been abolished, the prevention and combat of drug crimes, including transnational and dangerous drug crimes, have achieved encouraging results, contributing to slopping the illegal cross-border penetration of drugs; prosecution and trial activities are strict and timely; and international cooperation on drug prevention and combat has been promoted and intensified.

Nevertheless, these results are initial and not really steady; drug prevention and combat still sees limitations and constraints: a number of targets set out in the master plan on drug prevention and combat through 2020, such as effective combat of the illegal penetration of drugs from abroad into the country; reduction of drug addicts, termination of drug injection, assurance of 70% of communes, wards and townships free of drug addicts and crimes; detoxification for over 80% of drug addicts at medical treatment, education and social labor centers, etc... were not yet fulfilled. Besides, the inventory and management of drug addicts are not strict, the quality of detoxification is still limited, the rate of re-addiction remains high; the management, vocational training and employment of detoxified addicts have not yet received proper attention; public information on drug prevention and combat is thinned out and shallow. The number of criminal cases involving drug addicts remains high; and drug injection is still the main cause of HIV transmission.

The causes of the aforesaid constraints and limitations include first of all the slow and lax study and implementation of the Party's guidelines and the State's laws and the Government's programs and plans on drug prevention and combat in a number of units and localities, the lack of coordination among Party committees, administrations and mass organizations in a number of places; the incomplete organizational apparatus for drug prevention and control, and insufficient number and poor quality of full-time staff in charge of this work who have not yet received proper regimes and policies. Besides, some legal documents on drug prevention, combat and control have not yet been promulgated or amended in time in response to the practical situation; and funds for drug prevention, combat and control are not yet corresponding to the set objectives and tasks and have not yet reached communes, wards and townships.

In the coming time, subject to the influences of the regional and global drug situations, the drug evil in Vietnam will continue to be complicated. Drug criminals continuously change their methods, tricks and areas of operation and will be more internationalized. Drug crimes will be closely associated with corruption, money laundering and weapon smuggling crimes. Loopholes and weaknesses in the management and control of lawful drug-related activities will be taken advantage of to traffic and manufacture synthetic drugs in the country. The number of users of synthetic drugs and habit-forming medicines and new kinds of narcotic drugs will be on the rise, especially among young people and students in urban areas. The risk of re-growing opium and marijuana still exists in many localities. Therefore, unless coordinated and lasting measures are taken, the drug evil can develop beyond control, causing serious and unpredictable consequences to the society.

In light of the above context, the promulgation of the national strategy for drug prevention, combat and control in Vietnam through 2020 and orientations toward 2030 is necessary. This strategy sets out the overall and long-term objectives, programs and solutions for preventing and combating drugs with a view to assuring high effectiveness and sustainability for this work, incrementally curbing, preventing and repelling the drug evil out of social life, contributing to national construction and development.

Part II

VIEWPOINTS, OBJECTIVES, TASKS AND SOLUTIONS

I. VIEWPOINTS

1. Drug prevention, combat and control must be placed under the direct leadership and direction of Party committees and the management of administrations at all levels, with the public security force acting as the core.

2. Drug prevention, combat and control is a central task, which is both urgent and regular, continuous and permanent, requiring persistence, endurance, determination and close and synchronous coordination among all levels, sectors and socio-political organizations. Drug prevention, combat and control contents must be integrated in the implementation of related national programs and strategies.

3. Investment in drug prevention, combat and control is investment in sustainable development of the country. The State shall mobilize resources for drug prevention, combat and control work suitable to the country's capability and socio­economic conditions in each period, while calling for contributions from the community and international financial assistance.

4. Prevention will be closely combined with combat, and supply reduction, demand reduction with harm reduction. Importance will be attached to drug prevention and combat from the family, street group, residential quarter, commune, ward, township, agency, Enterprise and school, focusing on target groups with high-risk behaviors.

5. Drug prevention, combat and control activities will be further socialized on the basis of involving the active participation of all sectors, mass organizations, socio-political organizations, socio-professional organizations, economic sectors, non-governmental organizations and all citizens.

6. International cooperation will be stepped up and international commitments realized in drug prevention, combat and control.

II. OBJECTIVES

1. General objectives

a/ To raise the sense of responsibility of individuals, families and the entire society for proactively preventing, combating and controlling drugs. To step by step stop and drive back the drug evil, minimize the harms caused by drugs in order to create a clean social environment to serve national development;

b/ To stop the increase of new drug addicts; to reduce illegal drug users in the community, especially among the groups with high-risk behaviors; to organize drug detoxification in an effective and sustainable manner.

2. Specific objectives for 2020

a/ To reduce the current number of drug addicts by at least 30%- 40%; to strive to achieve 70% of communes, wards and residential quarters and 90% of agencies, organizations, units, enterprises and schools free of drug evil;

b/ 100% of drug addicts will be detected and managed; 90% of drug addicts will be treated, detoxified and provided with vocational training; 100% of drug addicts in prisons, educational institutions and reformatories will be detoxified: to reduce the current rate of re-addiction by 10%-15%;

c/ To increase the percentage of detected and seized drugs in border areas to over 30%.' of the total quantity of drugs seized nationwide; to basically abolish all illegal drug trafficking, transportation, storage and use organizations in the country;

d/ To closely manage the lawful trading of precursors, habit-forming substances and psychotropics; to prevent the illegal manufacture of synthetic drugs in Vietnam.

3. Orientations toward 2030

a/ On the basis of reviewing and evaluating the achievement of the specific objectives by 2020, to identify key tasks for concentrated investment of resources, implement in a coordinated manner measures to consolidate and maintain the achieved objectives and strive to drive back the drug evil, reduce the number of communes, wards and townships with the drug evil, creating a healthy social environment for national development;

b/To proactively prevent, detect, combat and reduce to the lowest level drugs penetrated in the country across the border; resolutely crack down and eliminate all illegal drug trafficking and using dens in the country;

c/ To concentrate on effective communica­tion and education among the group of high-risk behaviors to proactively prevent and stop new drug addiction;

d/ To do away with all causes of and conditions leading to the re-growing of narcotic-bearing plants.

III. TASKS

1. To organize extensive and intensive propaganda in many forms and with contents suitable to each area, region and target group: to propagate the Party's policies and the State's laws on drug prevention and combat together with information on the harms and consequen­ces of the drug evil to every citizen and family.

2. To closely manage drug addicts; to organize for all drug addicts to declare their addiction conditions and register for suitable forms of treatment and detoxification; to implement measures of managing and educating drug addicts and organizing vocational training and job creation for detoxified persons; to effectively perform post-detoxification management and re-addiction prevention.

3. To regularly inspect and promptly detect and eliminate areas under narcotic-bearing plants, while increasing measures to prevent the growth of narcotic-bearing plants.

4. To closely control lawful drug-related activities in order to effectively prevent the taking advantage of the lawful use of drugs, habit-forming substances and psychotropics for drug-related crimes.

5. To take the initiative in grasping the situation and fight and eliminate drug rings, gangs and dens in the country; to effectively prevent the cross-border transportation of drugs and illegal manufacture of drugs in the country.

6. To realize international commitments and effectively carry out activities of international cooperation on drug prevention, combat and control.

IV. SOLUTIONS

1. Political and social solutions

a/ To promote the role and responsibility of Party committees and administrations at all levels in drug prevention, combat and control.

Party committees and administrations at all levels shall organize thorough study and serious implementation of the Party's policies and the State's laws on drug prevention and combat, particularly the Political Bureau's Directive No. 21-CT/TW of March 26, 2008, on further promoting the leadership and direction of drug prevention, combat and control in the new situation, the Law on Drug Prevention and Combat, and the Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Drug Prevention and Combat. To promote the role and responsibility of Party committees and administrations at all levels and the exemplary spirit of every cadre and party member in drug prevention, combat and control; to specifically define the individual responsibili­ty of heads of agencies, organizations, units and businesses in drug prevention and combat, especially in communes, wards, townships and residential quarters; to regard drug prevention and control as a criterion for evaluating the effectiveness and quality of activities of Party committees and administrations at all levels and of socio-political organizations; to consider this work a priority task associated with socio­economic development tasks of each sector and locality. Party committees and administrations at all levels shall regularly urge, supervise, listen to reports on and direct drug prevention and combat work in units and localities.

b/ To increase oversight by the National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels, and socio-political organizations of drug prevention, combat and control through field inspection and oversight visits and periodical reports on the situation and results of drug prevention, combat and control; to promptly detect problems in mechanisms, policies and laws for study and making of appropriate amendments and supplements;

c/ To actively promote inter-sectoral coordination and mobilize the aggregate strength of the community in drug prevention and combat.

In the process of its implementation, the drug prevention, combat and control program should be integrated and combined with the crime, social evil and HIV/AIDS prevention and combat programs. To raise the effectiveness of the joint plan on implementation between state agencies at all levels and socio-political organizations of the same level. To strengthen and further improve mechanisms and relations of inter-sectoral coordination and mechanisms of coordination between state agencies and socio-political organizations, units and enterprises in localities in drug prevention, combat and control.

To develop mechanisms and policies to encourage and mobilize the active participation and support of organizations, enterprises and individuals at home and abroad for drug prevention, combat and control.

d/ To attach importance to building and widely applying models of communes, wards, townships, agencies and units free of drug crimes and addicts: to combine the implementation of the content of "building drug-free communes, wards and townships" with the movement "All people unite in building cultured life in residential quarters."'

To step up the movement "All people detect and report on illegal drug users, keepers, dealers and traffickers."

2. Solutions regarding laws, regimes and policies

a/ To further review for improving the system of legal documents on drug prevention, combat and control to be suitable to realities and consistent with other related legal systems;

b/ To build specific regimes and policies for drug prevention and combat officers and policies to encourage and reward those who detect and report on the drug evil and crimes;

c/ To supplement regimes and policies to support drug addicts in the process of detoxification and create jobs for them after detoxification; to develop mechanism and policies to encourage enterprises and production and business establishments to employ drug addicts and detoxified persons;

3. Solutions for management capacity building

a/ To continue strengthening the organizational system and apparatuses of drug prevention, combat and control agencies from the central to local level to meet performance requirements in the new situation. To concentrate on building capacity for the force directly engaged in drug prevention and combat and the force in charge of advising on and state management of drug prevention and combat;

b/ To build and increase operation capacity for the network of volunteers and collaborators through providing them with training in drug prevention and combat;

c/ To effectively apply information technologies in the state management of drug prevention, combat and control. To further improve the system of collection, management and processing of information, data and reports on the drug evil to serve drug prevention, combat and control. To formulate, implement and manage programs, plans and projects on drug prevention and combat and resource mobilization;

d/ To step up scientific research and application of modern science and technology to drug prevention, combat and control.

4. Solutions regarding information and propaganda on drug prevention and combat

a/ To promote the role and responsibility of the system of information and communication agencies and socio-political organizations at all levels for propaganda on drug prevention and combat;

b/ To combine mass media with face-to-face propaganda, regularly renovate the forms of propaganda with diversified contents suitable to each area, region and target group, paying attention to those with high-risk behaviors, pupils, students and inhabitants in highland, deep-lying and remote areas;

c/ To attach importance to integrating contents of propaganda and education on drug prevention and combat with cultural art. physical training, sports and tourist activities;

d/ To increase the management of cultural and entertainment services to prevent occurrence of the drug evil.

5. Solutions regarding drug supply and demand reductions

a/ To launch a movement for all the people to participate in combating drug crimes; to attach importance to basic investigations to grasp the crime situation; to increase forces in key routes and areas: to raise the effectiveness of coordination between specialized drug prevention and combat forces of the Public Security, Border Guard, Customs and Marine Police, and between domestic and foreign specialized forces: to promote coordination between investigative, prosecution and adjudicative agencies in handling drug crimes. To prioritize investment in procuring modem special-use equipment and vehicles for specialized drug prevention and combat forces;

b/ To raise awareness about and increase the management, examination and control of precursors. To further improve regulations on management, examination and control responsibilities of. and mechanisms of coordination and information exchange among, agencies, units and enterprises in lawful drug-related activities, especially those involving high-risk precursors;

c/ To diversify models of detoxification and treatment of drug addicts; to increase the number and raise the quality of detoxification, treatment and post-detoxification management staffs; to review effective models of detoxification for wide application, focusing on stepping up and widely expanding the community-based detoxification model; to expand the program on treatment with methadone for persons addicted to opium substances; to study and apply foreign experiences on detoxification, treatment and post-detoxification management in Vietnam. To properly organize post-detoxification management; to promote coordination between post-detoxification management centers and administrations of communes, wards and townships in which drug addicts reside;

d/ To attach importance to studying and using medicines that help end addiction fits for and detoxify and treat drug addicts: to promptly study and manufacture medicines that help detoxify and treat persons addicted to new kinds of narcotic drugs, especially synthetic drugs; to increase cooperation with international organizations and foreign governments in studying and applying scientific advances to detoxification and treatment in Vietnam;

e/ To enhance the directing role of Party committees and administrations at all levels and the coordination among specialized drug prevention and combat forces in areas where frequently occurs the re-growing of narcotic-bearing plants in the propaganda, education, examination, detection and abolition of the growing of narcotic-bearing plants. To implement measures of strict management and combine mobilization and propaganda with severe handling of acts of re-growing. To effectively implement projects on restructuring crops and livestock in areas where opium poppies were previously grown in association with organizing product sale services for inhabitants to incrementally improve their living conditions and voluntarily stop growing or re-growing narcotic-bearing plants.

6. Solutions regarding resource mobilization

a/ To mobilize resources for the drug prevention, combat and control program from the central and local sources, organizations and enterprises at home and abroad and the population to ensure sufficient resources for achieving the objectives and accomplishing the tasks identified in the strategy.

To prioritize investment from the state budget for drug prevention, combat and control through the national target program on drug prevention, combat and control; to encourage localities, organizations, economic sectors, and individuals at home and abroad to invest resources in drug prevention, combat and control.

b/ To promote the management, supervision and effective use of all funds for drug prevention, combat and control, to decentralize the drug prevention and combat budget management to ministries, sectors and provincial-level People's Committees.

7. Solutions regarding international cooperation on drug prevention, combat and control

a/ To fully implement international commitments and obligations in drug prevention, combat and control;

b/ To promote close coordination with bordering countries and organize effective management of the liaison office for cross-border drug prevention and combat; to build mechanisms for information sharing and coordination in preventing and combating illegal cross-border drug trafficking and transportation in order to repel drugs from afar.

To promote cooperation in drug prevention, combat and control with countries along the route of drug transportation and where drugs are manufactured and supplied, such as those in Southeast Asia, Southwest Asia, South America, Western Europe and Eastern Africa. To attach importance to cooperation in preventing, combating and controlling drugs transported by air and sea.

To promote international cooperation within the multilateral cooperation framework with international, non-governmental and inter­governmental organizations. To make use of assistance in finance, technological techniques and management skills from advanced countries and international organizations for drug prevention, combat and control;

c/ To intensify cooperation and sharing of experiences with other countries and international organizations in training, scientific research and application of science and technology in drug prevention, combat and control, detoxification and treatment of drug addicts.

Part III

PROGRAMS OF ACTION

1. Program on propaganda and education on drug prevention, combat and control.

2. Program on improvement of the legal system on drug prevention, combat and control.

3. Program on raising of state management effectiveness and completion of the organizational system of drug prevention, combat and control; intensification of scientific research and building of capacity for specialized drug prevention, combat and control staff.

4. Program on drug crime prevention and combat.

5. Program on raising of the effectiveness of drug addiction detoxification, post-detoxification management and reduction of harms of the drug addiction evil.

6. Program on drug prevention and combat among young people, teenagers; pupils and students; workers, public employees and laborers and building of drug-free communes, wards, townships, agencies, units and schools.

7. Program on increased management and control of precursors.

8. Program on international cooperation and implementation of international commitments on drug prevention, combat and control.

Part IV

ORGANIZATIONS OF IMPLEMENTATION

Ministries, sectors and provincial-level People's Committees are assigned with the following tasks and responsibilities:

1. The Ministry of Public Security shall:

- Study and concretize the strategy into programs and plans for submission to the Government for approval, identifying priority areas, breakthrough solutions and lists of schemes and projects suitable to each period of socio-economic development.

- Urge and guide ministries, sectors and localities in basing themselves on the assigned functions and tasks, to draw up plans on the implementation of the strategy and its programs, ensuring uniformity and consistency in objectives, solutions and funds for implementation.

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with ministries and sectors in, urging and guiding the formulation, appraisal, approval and implementation of the programs under the strategy, and study to further improve mechanisms and policies related to drug prevention, combat and control.

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with ministries, sectors, localities and related functional agencies in, examining the implementation of this strategy; review and evaluate the implementation of the objectives, tasks and programs set out in the strategy; submit to the Prime Minister for decision adjustments to its objectives and contents when necessary.

2. The Ministry of Finance shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Planning and Investment in, formulating and promulgating mechanisms for managing and using funds for the strategy.

3. The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Public Security in, balancing and arranging funds for the effective implementa­tion of the programs under the strategy; and develop and implement solutions for raising funds for drug prevention, combat and control.

4. The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Health and related ministries and sectors in, guiding, organizing and managing drug addiction detoxification, education and vocational training for drug addicts; creating jobs for and re-integrating detoxified persons into the community. The Ministries shall coordinate in integrating detoxification, functional rehabilitation and community re-integration for drug addicts into the national programs on hunger eradication, poverty reduction and job creation.

5. The Ministry of National Defense shall direct all forces of the people's army to carry out drug prevention, combat and control in accordance with law; assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with other forces in, intensifying border patrols to prevent the cross-border transportation of drugs; step up propaganda and persuade people to stop the growing of narcotic-bearing plants; and coordinate with People's Committees of border and island communes in organizing detoxification of drug addicts in these areas.

6. The Ministry of Health shall assume the prime responsibility for studying and guiding the implementation of methods and processes of detoxification and treatment of drug addicts; and study and manufacture and apply medicinal drugs in support of this work.

7. The Ministry of Education and Training shall assume the prime responsibility for carrying out propaganda and education on drug prevention and combat at all education establishments within the national education system; and develop training programs and textbooks and train teachers for drug addicts.

8. The Ministry of Industry and Trade shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries and sectors in, closely managing and controlling precursors.

9. The Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall direct and guide concerned agencies in effectively implementing measures of information, propaganda and education on drug prevention and combat.

10. Other ministries and sectors shall, according to their respective functions and tasks, elaborate plans for implementing tasks and solutions set out in the strategy related to their ministries and sectors.

11. The Vietnam Fatherland Front and its member organizations, socio-political organiza­tions, socio-professional organizations and mass media agencies shall, together with all the people, participate in implementing, examining and supervising the implementation of this strategy.

12. The Supreme People's Procuracy and the Supreme People's Court shall coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Finance and related ministries and sectors in directing and intensifying the investigation, prosecution, trial and execution of sentences on drug-related cases.

13. Provincial-level People's Committees shall base themselves on the objectives, tasks and solutions identified in this Strategy to direct the elaboration and implementation in their localities and mobilize and arrange resources for the implementation of these tasks and solutions; mobilize all the people to actively participate in drug prevention, combat and control; and annually review the implementation of the strategy and report its results lo the Ministry of Public Security for reporting to the Prime Minister.-