The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs held a meeting with their counterpart office in Ho Chi Minh City and other related agencies on July 31 to discuss issues on drug addiction and rehabilitation.
The summary of this meeting will be used as initial data for the upcoming government project ‘Renovation in Task of Drug Rehabilitation’.
Statistics show that drug addiction in HCMC has become much more complex, with only 14,300 people being officially registered. There is a growing tendency among addicts to use synthesis drugs, while doctors have no specific therapy for this kind of drug as yet.
The local government has implemented various detoxification methods and while thousands of patients are being treated in rehabilitation centers, many hundreds are also being treated at their own homes.
However, it seems that rehabilitation while staying at home is quite ineffective. The city still has many hot spots for drug consumption that can easily tempt drug addicts.
Moreover, it is very difficult to monitor all suspect immigrants who come into HCMC. Since 2009, among 4,000 already cured and rehabilitated patients, 515 returned to their old habits.
According to Nguyen Van Minh, deputy director of the HCMC Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, there should be a diversity of detoxification methods.
Any drug addict without stable accommodation or with a criminal record or one re-hooking on drugs, must be treated at rehabilitation centers under strict monitoring of trained doctors.
