The hardships of voluntary drug addiction treatment

The number of people voluntarily undergoing drug rehabilitation at public facilities has decreased.

Currently, according to regulations, there are two forms of voluntary drug addiction treatment: at public facilities and at home and in the community. Data from the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shows that the number of people voluntarily undergoing drug addiction treatment at the Hai Duong Provincial Drug Addiction Treatment Center has recently tended to decrease. Specifically, in 2022, there were 221 people, in 2023, there were 114 people, and from the beginning of 2024 until now, the facility has only received more than 40 people.

According to the Hai Duong Provincial Police, the current situation of drug-related crimes is potentially complicated. The situation of illegal drug trading, storage, transportation and use tends to increase, focusing on young people. This situation shows that the number of people participating in voluntary drug rehabilitation is not necessarily decreasing because the number of drug addicts has decreased.

One of the basic reasons is that most of the illegal drug users are not self-aware, do not comply, do not cooperate with the authorities in testing for drugs in the body, determine the status of drug addiction, do not voluntarily register for drug addiction treatment, and flee their residence when discovered to be addicted. Most of the illegal drug users are discovered by the police and forced to undergo drug addiction treatment.

Tien Tien Commune (Hai Duong City) has many potential complications in terms of drug crimes as well as drug addicts. However, the work of mobilizing drug addicts to voluntarily quit drugs in the area still faces many difficulties. Mr. Le Anh Hung, Deputy Chief of Tien Tien Commune Police, said that although the functional sector has always promoted propaganda, in recent years, the commune has only had 1 case of voluntary drug addiction treatment. Currently, grassroots health care also has many limitations in the work of assessing to detect drug addicts. Most drug addicts do not want to go to rehab. They try to hide their addiction. Only when the addiction is severe and is discovered by the authorities, do addicts go to rehab and mainly in a compulsory form.

In addition, the cost of voluntary drug addiction treatment is also considered difficult for addicts. According to regulations, in addition to the support, each month, a voluntary drug addict at the Hai Duong Province Drug Addiction Treatment Center must pay more than 430,000 VND/person. Each drug addiction treatment course usually lasts from 6 months to 1 year. Drug addicts often do not have a stable source of income, and even spend all of their family's assets. Many families do not have the funds, so they often choose to send their relatives to compulsory drug addiction treatment, instead of voluntary drug addiction treatment.

Voluntary drug addiction treatment at home and in the community has not been implemented yet.

In Hai Duong, the implementation of the voluntary drug addiction treatment policy at home and in the community according to Decree No. 116/2021/ND-CP dated December 21, 2021 of the Government has not yet been implemented. When this Decree comes into effect, Hai Duong does not have any organizations, individuals, or public service units qualified to provide services. Up to now, after reviewing, upgrading, and supplementing, the Provincial Drug Addiction Treatment Center has been announced by the People's Committees of districts, towns, and cities as qualified to provide services.

However, when piloting this activity in Cong Hoa ward (Chi Linh), many limitations were revealed. Local facilities and equipment did not ensure adequate conditions to carry out the treatment phase of withdrawal, detoxification, treatment of mental disorders and other diseases.

To overcome the difficulties, in 2023, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs coordinated with the Provincial Police to develop guidelines for voluntary drug addiction treatment at home and the community will carry out at least the first 3 stages of the drug addiction treatment process at the Provincial Drug Addiction Treatment Center. The remaining stages will be carried out in the commune, ward or town where the addict resides.

However, the province has not yet issued economic and technical standards for the field of drug addiction treatment. Therefore, the collection level when implementing this service for the implementation stages at the provincial Drug Addiction Treatment Center has not been determined. Therefore, voluntary drug addiction treatment at home and in the community has not been implemented.

Mr. Vu Tri Quang, Deputy Director of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Hai Duong province, said that the department proposed that the province soon issue a resolution regulating a number of expenditure contents and expenditure levels in drug prevention and control work, including support for voluntary drug addicts. At the same time, it proposed upgrading district-level medical centers to be qualified to participate in voluntary drug addiction treatment at home and in the community...

In the immediate future, when voluntary drug addiction treatment at home and in the community has not been implemented, the provincial authorities need to step up propaganda activities so that people are clearly aware of the harmful effects of drugs, so that families with addicts and drug addicts themselves can soon choose drug addiction treatment appropriate to their circumstances.