The hidden danger of school drugs in Hai Duong

Sneaking into school

At the beginning of the school year, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga in Tu Minh Ward (Hai Duong City) was shocked when she discovered that her 7th grade son was using an electronic cigarette. Her family tried every way to persuade him, but he continued to smoke secretly. Ms. Nga was very afraid that electronic cigarettes contained addictive drugs, making it difficult for her son to quit.

According to the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department (Provincial Police), recently, many teenagers have been smoking e-cigarettes. It is noteworthy that many types of e-cigarettes contain addictive substances in the form of drugs. Not only that, candies, cakes, drinks... are mixed with addictive substances very sophisticatedly. Knowing that students are easily lured, the subjects find many ways to bring drugs into schools through places and gathering places around schools. Recently, there has been a situation of buying and selling drugs through social networks or taking advantage of students' gullibility to trick them into using and lure them into drug trafficking rings. This form is very dangerous, causing many young people to become victims of drugs.

Last August, on Road 389 (the turn to Pham Thai Ward to An Sinh Ward), the Working Group of Kinh Mon Town Police caught TVM, a student of a high school in the town, selling 0.909 grams of tobacco-type drugs, containing 5F-ADB-PINACA drugs, to a subject in Quang Thanh Commune (Kinh Mon) for 100,000 VND. After being discovered, M. voluntarily handed over 22 more packages of tobacco-type drugs with a total weight of 22.229 grams that were hidden in his home. M. confessed that he bought the drugs from a stranger to sell for profit.

According to statistics from the Provincial Steering Committee for Crime Prevention, Social Evils and Building the Movement for National Security Protection (Steering Committee 138), in 2022, Hai Duong had 7 minor drug addicts. At the Hai Duong Provincial Drug Rehabilitation Center, the number of minors entering drug rehabilitation also increases every year. In 2021, the facility received 4 children, in 2022, there were 10 more children, and in the first 9 months of 2023, there were 8 more children coming to rehabilitation. The number of young drug addicts tends to increase, with some students having to drop out of school to go to drug rehabilitation.

Prevent

In both formal and extracurricular educational programs, schools in the province are interested in propagating the harmful effects of school drugs and the unpredictable consequences when young people use drugs. In the past 9 months, the Hai Duong Province Drug Rehabilitation Center has coordinated to organize 45 propaganda points about the dangers of drugs in schools.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Duyen, an officer at the Hai Duong Province Drug Rehabilitation Center who regularly disseminates information about the harmful effects of drugs in schools, said: “Drug addiction will cause students to decline in their studies and lose their moral character. In addition, drug addiction also causes students to engage in behaviors that are dangerous to themselves and those around them.”

Building a “fence” to protect students from the dangers of drugs requires the participation of authorities, families, schools and the efforts of each student. In particular, helping young people clearly understand the harmful effects of drugs and the skills to proactively avoid the temptations of drugs plays a particularly important role. Schools need to pay attention to propagating the harmful effects of drugs, the effects of this addictive substance on the lives and future of students regularly and flexibly through extracurricular classes; can organize for students to participate in competitions to learn about drug laws...

Parents should proactively learn about drug-related issues; spend time accompanying their children on the path to adulthood. Mr. Nguyen Van Tu in Cam Dong commune (Cam Giang) said that parents themselves should clearly understand the paths leading to drug addiction to guide their children to avoid it. Changes in psychology and difficulties that children encounter at home and at school need to be shared to avoid laxity and lack of concern leading to children being drawn into and falling into the wrong path.

The police and related sectors implement synchronous professional measures to detect and fight against drug crimes; focus on destroying drug rings and gangs, and solving complicated drug problems related to schools. Strengthen patrol and control activities in areas and areas around schools to promptly prevent drugs from entering schools, and build a safe and healthy school environment.