Support for voluntary drug addicts

Currently, the situation of drug crimes in general and drug addicts in particular in Hai Duong is still complicated. In addition to the fight against drug crimes, Hai Duong also actively focuses on supporting drug addicts to recover.

Resolution No. 08/2024/NQ-HDND of the province promulgating a number of expenditure contents and expenditure levels for drug prevention and control in Hai Duong province has many changes, including increasing the financial support policy for voluntary drug addicts. The Resolution, which takes effect from August 1, 2024, has brought opportunities and hope to voluntary drug addicts.

Accordingly, drug addicts who voluntarily undergo drug rehabilitation at the province’s public drug rehabilitation facilities will be supported 100% of the costs (equivalent to the support level for compulsory drug rehabilitation). The support level includes all costs of drug rehabilitation, medicine, food, accommodation, electricity, water, entertainment activities, etc.

Previously, according to regulations, voluntary drug addicts had to pay 30% of the cost of food, clothing, and personal items compared to the support level for compulsory drug addicts. By June 2024, the amount a voluntary drug addict had to pay was more than 430,000 VND/month.

Each drug addiction treatment course for a person usually lasts from 6 months to 1 year. In the context that most drug addicts do not have the financial capacity, and even affect the family economy, the monthly amount of money spent on voluntary drug addiction treatment can also be a burden.

Deputy Director of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Hai Duong province, Vu Tri Quang, said that the department has closely coordinated with the provincial police and related units to research and assess the current situation of drug prevention and control in the province. From there, it proposed policies and advised the Provincial People's Council to issue Resolution No. 08/2024/NQ-HDND.

The Resolution stipulates 6 groups of policies related to drug prevention and control, notably 3 policies related to drug addiction treatment, including: supporting costs for people identified as addicted at qualified medical facilities; 100% support for drug addicts at public drug addiction treatment facilities; 100% support for costs for drug addicts who voluntarily undergo drug addiction treatment at home and in the community when using services at the provincial drug addiction treatment facility. These policies encourage drug addicts to voluntarily undergo drug addiction treatment, helping them to successfully complete drug addiction treatment early and reintegrate into the community.

Mr. TMV in Kim Anh commune (Kim Thanh) during his time working as a factory worker, was lured and unable to control his behavior and became addicted to drugs. His family and Mr. V. decided to go to the Hai Duong Province Drug Rehabilitation Center to voluntarily quit. When he heard that the province had a policy of supporting 100% of the costs during the rehab period, Mr. V. said: “My family and I are very happy because during the time I went to rehab, I did not create a burden for my family. Having that concern also made me determined to quit.”

As of September 2024, Hai Duong Provincial Drug Rehabilitation Center organized drug rehabilitation for 522 people (including 439 people undergoing compulsory drug rehabilitation and 46 people undergoing voluntary rehabilitation), and methadone treatment for 11 people.

According to this data, the rate of people voluntarily undergoing drug rehabilitation at the facility is low. With the new support policy from Resolution 08 mentioned above, the number of people voluntarily undergoing drug rehabilitation may increase in the coming time.

“There are people who really want to go to drug rehabilitation but do not have the funds, and their families are also very poor, so they cannot afford the cost of drug rehabilitation services. When there are regulations to support people who voluntarily go to drug rehabilitation, drug addicts will certainly cooperate and be more active in choosing the appropriate form of rehabilitation,” said Mr. Nguyen Viet Hung, Deputy Chief of Minh Hoa Commune Police (Kinh Mon).