Resolution No. 6-CP On Strengthening Guidance for Work on Prevention, Combating, and Controlling Narcotics

RESOLUTION

DECREE NO. 6-CP OF JANUARY 29, 1993 ON STRENGTHENING THE GUIDANCE OF WORKS TO PREVENT, COMBAT AND CONTROL DRUGS

At present, drug addiction, injection, and trafficking in drugs in our country are on the rise. This evil is contrary to the traditional ethics of the nation, has a very negative impact on economic development, causes great harm to the health of a part of the population, adversely affects the national race, and leaves serious consequences for future generations.

This is a concern and worry of the whole society. It is necessary to resolutely combat this evil through measures such as propaganda, mobilization, education, economic measures, administrative handling, and criminal prosecution.

1. The following policies and measures should be implemented:

a) Widespread propaganda so that everyone, especially young people, recognize the harmful consequences of drug addiction. Educate awareness of vigilance against the activities of reactionary elements and traffickers aiming to incite, divide, slander, and distort the policies of the Party and State regarding opium poppy. Incorporate the issue of preventing drug addiction into the educational programs at general schools, vocational high schools, and universities.

b) Mobilize and persuade mountainous ethnic groups to firmly stop growing opium poppy and switch to other crops. Study suitable alternative crops based on soil conditions, climate, agricultural practices, and market demand for products in each region. Ensure income levels for ethnic groups comparable to those from growing opium poppy. If income drops significantly in the initial years of changing production direction, the State will provide assistance to ensure their livelihood, implement specific policies such as providing food supplies, interest-free loans, or purchasing products at prices compensating for losses, to help ethnic groups have the conditions to change their production direction.

Strictly control the transportation and circulation of various types of drugs throughout the territory, particularly in regions where opium is grown, border areas, ports, seaports, international airports, intensify the struggle against all acts of producing, transporting, storing, and selling drugs. Destroy opium and other drug products obtained.

Strengthen international cooperation in the field of drug control based on ensuring principles consistent with domestic laws and the United Nations' international conventions on drugs.

d) For organizations and places of injecting, smoking, and consuming drugs, they must be inspected and immediately eliminated. Severely punish the leaders of these places according to criminal law.

e) For drug addicts, organize compulsory detoxification and treatment of opium and other drugs as stipulated in Article 29 of the Law on Protecting the Health of the People. Depending on the actual situation in each place and type of individual, apply detoxification methods at state medical centers, private healthcare facilities, or home detoxification, while providing vocational training, job creation, and addressing related social issues.

2. On the organization and guidance of works to prevent, combat, and control drugs:

a) Establish a national program to prevent, combat, and control drugs as a comprehensive task with clear objectives, including the following main contents:

- Conduct basic investigations, analyze and assess the current status of drugs in Vietnam.

- Guide and implement policies to shift production in regions where ethnic groups currently grow opium.

- Organize detoxification, treatment, and implement vocational training and job creation measures for drug addicts.

- Implement measures to strengthen the control of drug production, storage, sale, and transportation, and handle opium and other drug products obtained.

- Develop legal regulations on anti-drug issues.

- Organize international cooperation in the field of combating drugs.

b) Establish a steering committee for the national program on preventing, combating, and controlling drugs to guide, inspect, and urge relevant ministries and localities to implement the above program.

The steering committee for the national program is an inter-ministerial organization headed by the Minister in charge of the Committee for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas as the Program Director, Deputy Directors being Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, and the Ministry of Health; representatives from some Ministries, General Departments related to the matter, and representatives from the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and the Vietnam Women's Union as members.

Each province and centrally-administered city shall establish a steering committee for the prevention, combating, and control of drugs to assist the Chairman of the People's Committee in guiding the implementation of the national program on preventing, combating, and controlling drugs at the local level.

3. Allocation of responsibilities in the work of combating drug evils:

- The Committee for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas is the lead agency, responsible for coordinating activities under the national program on preventing, combating, and controlling drugs, directly organizing the implementation of the "production shift plan combining opium poppy replacement planting with opium cessation" according to Decision No. 69-CT dated March 4, 1992 of the Council of Ministers and the project "building a comprehensive drug control plan in Vietnam" VIE/92/660.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, the Ministry of Forestry shall coordinate with scientific agencies to guide the transition to alternative crops replacing opium poppy.

- The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs shall direct the organization of detoxification and address social issues after detoxification.

- The Ministry of Health shall be responsible for determining types of drugs and detoxification methods, managing the use of opium and other drugs in pharmaceutical production and scientific research as prescribed by the State.

- The Ministry of Interior, the General Department of Customs shall be responsible for directing inspections and controls over the transportation, sale, storage, and illegal use of opium and other drugs throughout the territory.

- The Ministry of Culture and Information shall direct extensive propaganda and education among different strata of the population on policies and measures to combat drug evils.

- The Ministry of Education and Training shall direct propaganda and education in schools about knowledge of prevention and the harms of drugs.

- The Ministry of Justice shall take the lead in researching laws related to drug issues; preparing documents for Vietnam's ratification of United Nations international conventions on drugs.

- Provincial People's Committees under the direct jurisdiction of the central government are responsible for directing all aspects of prevention, combating, and controlling drugs at the local level.

The Steering Committee for the Drug Prevention Program, Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, governmental agencies, and local People's Committees need to closely coordinate with the Vietnam Fatherland Front and people's mass organizations in propaganda campaigns and specific activities, making the prevention, combating, and control of drugs the responsibility of each citizen, and strongly and effectively fighting this social evil./.