Decision No. 28/2025/QĐ-TTg Issuing Criteria for Determining Drug-Related Complex Priority Areas and Drug-Free Areas

Pursuant to …;

Issuing criteria for determining key complex drug areas and drug-free areas

Based on the Law on Prevention and Control of Drugs No. 73/2021/QH14;

Pursuant to the Law on Government Organization No. 63/2025/QH15;

Based on Resolution No. 163/2024/QH15 of the National Assembly approving the investment policy for the National Target Program on Prevention and Control of Drugs until 2030;

Pursuant to the proposal of the Minister of Public Security at Circular No. 290/TTr-BCA dated July 23, 2025;

The Prime Minister issues criteria for determining key complex drug areas and drug-free areas.

Article 1. Implementation Principles

1. Public security forces at all levels shall take the lead and coordinate with relevant functional forces to advise local authorities to identify key complex drug areas. Such identification shall be conducted annually, clearly distinguishing key complex drug areas and drug-free areas within the overall framework of the same level areas.

2. Criteria for determining key complex drug areas and drug-free areas must be quantitatively specific, reflecting the situation of drug-related crimes and social evils objectively and accurately based on data from the areas in question.

Point organizing, harboring illegal drug use refers to a specific location, area, or moving vehicle suspected of engaging in criminal activities related to organizing, harboring, or facilitating illegal drug use, or having evidence indicating such activities.

Article 2. Interpretation of Terms

Conversion of key complex drug areas involves implementing comprehensive measures to change the situation of drug-related crimes and social evils, thereby transforming key complex drug areas into drug-free areas.

Article 3. Criteria for Determining Key Complex Drug Routes

A key complex drug route includes areas not limited by administrative boundaries, adjacent to transportation axes (roadways, railways, inland waterways, air routes, seaways), or other directions of economic and social activity where illegal drug trafficking and trading frequently occur.

Article 4. Criteria for Determining Key Complex Drug Areas at Commune Level

Key complex drug areas at commune level are divided into three types: Type I key complex drug areas; Type II key complex drug areas; and Type III key complex drug areas, specifically as follows:

1. Communes, wards, and special zones classified as Type I key complex drug areas must meet at least three of the following criteria:

a) The ratio of registered drug users and illegal drug users to the current population residing in the area is 0.5% or higher.

b) There are two or more points organizing, harboring, or facilitating illegal drug use.

c) The ratio of drug offenders apprehended in the area to the current population residing in the commune is 0.1% or higher.

d) There are 3,000 plants containing drugs or more, or an area of 750 square meters or more of planted drug-containing plants discovered and eradicated.

đ) Meeting two or more criteria of Type II key complex drug areas and located on a key complex drug route within the province or between provinces.² 2. Communes, wards, and special zones classified as Type II key complex drug areas must meet at least three of the following criteria:

a) The ratio of registered drug users and illegal drug users to the current population residing in the area is between 0.1% and less than 0.5%.

b) There is one point organizing, harboring, or facilitating illegal drug use.

c) The ratio of drug offenders apprehended in the area to the current population residing in the commune is between 0.05% and less than 0.1%.

d) There are between 500 and less than 3,000 plants containing drugs, or an area of 125 square meters to less than 750 square meters of planted drug-containing plants discovered and eradicated.

đ) Meeting two or more criteria of Type III key complex drug areas and located on a key complex drug route within the province or between provinces.

3. Communes, wards, and special zones classified as Type III key complex drug areas must meet at least one of the following criteria:² a) The ratio of registered drug users and illegal drug users to the current population residing in the area is less than 0.1%.² b) The ratio of drug offenders apprehended in the area to the current population residing in the commune is less than 0.05%.

c) There are fewer than 500 plants containing drugs, or an area of less than 125 square meters of planted drug-containing plants.

3. Communes, wards, and key special economic zones that are complexly problematic with Class III narcotics must meet at least one of the following criteria:

a) The ratio of drug addicts and illegal drug users with management files to the current population residing in the area is less than 0.1%.

b) The ratio of individuals arrested for drug-related crimes to the current population residing in the commune is less than 0.05%.

c) The number of plants containing narcotic substances is less than 500 plants or the area planted with such plants is less than 125 square meters.² b) The ratio of drug offenders apprehended in the area to the current population residing in the commune is less than 0.05%.

Article 5. Criteria for determining provincial areas with complex drug issues

A province or centrally governed city shall be identified as a provincial area with complex drug issues when it meets at least four of the following criteria:

1. The ratio of registered drug addicts and illegal drug users to the current population residing in the provincial area is 0.2% or higher.

2. There are five or more locations organizing or accommodating illegal drug use.

3. The ratio of drug-related criminals apprehended in the provincial area to the current population residing in the provincial area is 0.05% or higher.

4. The proportion of villages, wards, and special economic zones classified as complex drug issue areas of type I and II constitutes 3% or more of the total number of villages, wards, and special economic zones in the provincial area.

5. There are 8,000 or more plants containing drugs or an area of 2,000 square meters planted with drug-containing plants.² 2. Communes, wards, and special zones classified as Type II key complex drug areas must meet at least three of the following criteria:

6. It lies on a provincial drug issue complex route.

Article 6. Criteria for determining drug-free areas

1. There are no residents currently residing in the area who are drug addicts or illegal drug users, except those participating in drug substitution treatment, undergoing community-based rehabilitation, or under post-rehabilitation supervision.

2. There are no residents currently residing in the area who violate drug laws, and there are no drug-related fugitives hiding in the area.

3. There are no locations organizing or accommodating illegal drug use.

Article 7. Periods for Evaluation and Reporting

1. The evaluation and reporting period runs from December 15 of the previous year to December 14 of the following year. The police force at the commune level advises the same-level People's Committee to self-review, evaluate, classify, and report to the provincial People's Committee for consideration and approval of commune-level complex drug issue areas and drug-free areas.

2. The provincial police force advises the provincial People's Committee to consider and approve local complex drug issue routes, complex drug issue areas, and drug-free areas at the commune level; they also self-evaluate and classify provincial complex drug issue areas and drug-free areas for their locality; the results are compiled and reported to the Ministry of Public Security before December 20 each year.

3. The Ministry of Public Security considers and approves inter-provincial complex drug issue routes, complex drug issue areas, and drug-free areas at the provincial level before December 30 to compile and report to the Prime Minister.

Article 8. Effective Date

This Decision takes effect from the date of issuance.

Article 9. Responsibility for implementation

1. Ministry of Public Security:

a) Guide the implementation of this Decision.

b) Organize reviews, considerations, approvals, additions, and removals from the list of inter-provincial complex drug issue routes, complex drug issue areas, and drug-free areas at the provincial level.

c) Compile lists of complex drug issue routes and areas, and drug-free areas nationwide, regularly sending them to relevant ministries and agencies for cooperation in anti-drug work.

2. Provincial People's Committees and centrally governed city People's Committees:

a) Direct functional units to organize reviews and determine local complex drug issue routes, complex drug issue areas, and drug-free areas at the commune level.

b) Consider and approve, add to, and remove from the list of local complex drug issue routes, complex drug issue areas, and drug-free areas at the commune level.

c) Direct commune-level People's Committees to mobilize resources and effectively implement preventive measures, combat activities, and transformation of complex drug issue areas, maintaining and expanding recognized and approved drug-free areas.

3. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government agencies, Chairmen of provincial and centrally governed city People's Committees, and related agencies, organizations, and individuals are responsible for implementing this Decision.