Proposal to increase the minimum drug rehabilitation period to 2 years

The Government proposed to amend and supplement regulations on the duration of drug addiction treatment for first-time drug addicts to 24 months, and for second-time or more drug addicts to 36 months, and apply to all forms of voluntary drug addiction treatment and compulsory drug addiction treatment.

On the morning of November 11, continuing the 10th Session , the National Assembly listened to the presentation and examination report on the draft Law on Drug Prevention and Control (amended).

Decentralization in 5 contents to suit the 2-level local government model

Presenting the report, Minister of Public Security, Senior General Luong Tam Quang said that the purpose of promulgating the Law is to perfect the legal basis on the state management responsibilities of agencies and organizations on drug prevention and control , ensuring consistency with the organizational arrangement of ministries, branches and localities.

At the same time, control legal activities related to drugs, manage illegal drug users, and drug addiction treatment to ensure compliance with the new organizational structure and overcome difficulties and obstacles in implementation in recent times.

Minister of Public Security, General Luong Tam Quang presents the draft Law. (Photo: Thuy Nguyen)

Regarding the revised and completed contents, the draft Law amends and supplements the provisions on the drug addiction treatment period for first-time drug addicts is 24 months, for second-time drug addicts or more is 36 months and applies to all forms of voluntary drug addiction treatment and compulsory drug addiction treatment.

Amending and supplementing regulations on drug addiction treatment procedures must ensure the implementation of all 5 stages in the drug addiction treatment process, ensuring effectiveness in drug addiction treatment. Particularly for drug addiction treatment at private drug addiction treatment facilities, it is necessary to continue to ensure the implementation of at least the first 3 stages in the drug addiction treatment process, for the remaining processes and time, drug addicts must carry out the remaining procedures at home and in the community.

Amending and supplementing regulations that drug addicts from 12 to under 18 years old must undergo drug addiction treatment at reformatory schools, but when drug addicts reach 18 years old, if the remaining drug addiction treatment period is 3 months or more, they must transfer to undergo drug addiction treatment at public drug addiction treatment facilities.

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Khac Dinh chaired the meeting. (Photo: Thuy Nguyen)

In addition, the draft Law implements decentralization and delegation in 5 contents, specifically:

Transfer the authority from the Chairman of the People's Committee at the commune level to the Chief of the Commune Police to receive positive drug test results from the person with the authority to handle administrative violations for illegal drug use;

Determining the authority of the Chairman of the People's Committee at the commune level and the Chief of the Commune Police in managing illegal drug users;

Transfer the authority from the People's Committee of the commune to the Commune Police to establish and remove from the list of illegal drug users residing in the locality;

Transfer authority from the Chairman of the People's Committee at the commune level to the Chief of the Commune Police responsible for receiving registration and managing drug addicts voluntarily undergoing drug rehabilitation at home and in the community;

Transfer the authority of the Chairman of the District People's Committee to the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and the Director of the Provincial Police in state management of voluntary drug addiction treatment at home and in the community.

Research on more suitable regulations on drug addiction treatment duration

Through examination, the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Society agreed with the necessity of promulgating the Law on Drug Prevention and Control (amended), and at the same time proposed that the amendment of the Law must ensure harmony between strict and timely handling of illegal drug use and the right to education, creating opportunities for illegal drug users and drug addicts who are children, pupils, and students to reintegrate into the community...

Along with that, improve the effectiveness of drug addiction treatment and post-rehabilitation management; perfect the inter-sectoral coordination mechanism, clarify the responsibilities of agencies in drug prevention, control and control; mobilize resources for drug prevention and control, build a mechanism to promote the role of organizations, individuals, families and communities in monitoring and post-rehabilitation support.

Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Social Affairs Nguyen Dac Vinh presents the inspection report. (Photo: Thuy Nguyen)

Regarding the duration and process of drug addiction treatment, the majority of opinions of the Committee on Culture and Society agree with the regulation of increasing the duration of drug addiction treatment. However, it is recommended that more appropriate regulations on the duration of drug addiction treatment should be studied. In particular, for first-time drug addicts and drug addicts who are raising young children, the duration of drug addiction treatment should be shorter or stipulated to not exceed 24 months for first-time drug addicts and not exceed 36 months for second-time drug addicts and onwards.

There are opinions suggesting to study regulations on drug addiction treatment duration in the direction that for subjects of compulsory drug addiction treatment, the implementation duration should be as prescribed in the draft Law; for subjects of voluntary drug addiction treatment at home and in the community, it is necessary to prescribe appropriate duration.

Regarding voluntary drug addiction treatment at home and in the community, the Committee recommends continuing to study and include provisions in the draft Law to ensure principles and comprehensiveness regarding conditions of facilities, human resources, prices of drug addiction treatment services, authority and responsibilities of organizations and individuals in providing drug addiction treatment services, etc., and at the same time, specify these provisions in guiding documents.

Regarding compulsory drug addiction treatment for people from 12 to under 18 years old, according to the investigating agency, organizing compulsory drug addiction treatment for this group of subjects at reform schools will facilitate the organization of cultural studies, vocational training, and reform education according to regulations. However, only compulsory drug addiction treatment at reform schools will have some limitations and shortcomings.

Therefore, it is recommended to continue studying regulations to ensure openness, flexibility, and suitability to practical conditions in the direction that: basically, compulsory drug addiction treatment for people from 12 to under 18 years old is carried out at reform schools; assign the Minister of Public Security to regulate the expansion of compulsory drug addiction treatment for people from 12 to under 18 years old at other qualified drug addiction treatment facilities.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/de-xuat-tang-thoi-han-cai-nghien-ma-tuy-toi-thieu-la-2-nam-post922192.html