VietNamNet Bridge – More than VND586 billion (nearly US$28 million) will be spent on drug prevention and rehabilitation under a project recently approved by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

More than VND586 billion will be spent on drug prevention and rehabilitation under a project recently approved by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.— File Photo

The project is part of the Ministry's national target programme to improve drug prevention and rehabilitation between 2012-2015. The project is divided into two sub-projects worth VND566.54 billion ($27 million) and VND20 billion ($952,000) respectively.

It aims to extend support services to all drugs addicts (around 110,000 people) nationwide undergoing detoxification, with 80 per cent of detoxification officials to take part in professional training.

"The courses will provide knowledge on medical treatments alongside psychology training to equip officials with the tools to communicate and educate drug users", said deputy director of the Ministry's Department for Social Vices Prevention, Le Duc Hien.

"Officials will also learn the methodologies to impart career guidance and life coaching to those in the detox programme", he added.

The project aims to build the Government's capacity to support recovering addicts; deploying evidenced based medicinal treatments and researching new therapies in rehabilitation.

"We hope the project will gradually rein in the harmful effects of drugs on our society and create a healthy environment for addicts to get back on track and participate in the nation's economic development.

"We also believe there will be added benefits: reduced crime, improved safety and a stronger social fabric", Hien said.

Statistics from the Ministry of Public Security showed that the number of drug addicts had increased by 4-6 per cent in recent years, with the number predicted to reach 190,000 by 2015, due to high rates of relapse and an increasing number of new users.

Between 30 and 40 thousand of these will become addicted to synthetic drugs.

Source: VNS