Draft Law on Drug Prevention and Control (amended): Increase the duration of drug addiction treatment, control legal activities

Đại tướng Lương Tam Quang, Bộ trưởng Bộ Công an trình bày Tờ trình tóm tắt về dự án Luật Phòng, chống ma túy (sửa đổi)

General Luong Tam Quang, Minister of Public Security, presented a summary report on the draft Law on Drug Prevention and Control (amended).

Supplementing regulations for people from 12 to 18 years old to be treated for drug addiction at reform schools

On the morning of November 11, at the 10th Session of the 15th National Assembly , Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang, authorized by the Prime Minister, presented a Summary Report on the draft Law on Drug Prevention and Control (amended).

General Luong Tam Quang said that through the process of summarizing and monitoring the 2021 Law on Drug Prevention and Control, in addition to the achieved results, difficulties and shortcomings in practical implementation have been revealed. In order to ensure the implementation of the task of state management of drug addiction treatment and post-treatment management transferred to the Ministry of Public Security, it is necessary to study, amend and supplement the Law on Drug Prevention and Control.

The draft law retains the same violations and adjustments compared to the 2021 Law on Drug Prevention and Control. The draft Law on Drug Prevention and Control (amended) includes 8 Chapters and 52 Articles.

General Luong Tam Quang presented a summary report on the draft Law on Drug Prevention and Control (amended)

Notably, the Draft Law amends and supplements the provisions on the period of drug addiction treatment for first-time drug addicts to be 24 months, for second-time drug addicts or more to be 36 months and applies to all forms of voluntary drug addiction treatment and compulsory drug addiction treatment. The amendment and supplement stipulates that drug addicts from 12 to under 18 years old must undergo drug addiction treatment at reformatory schools, but when the drug addict is 18 years old, if the remaining drug addiction treatment period is 3 months or more, they will be transferred to undergo drug addiction treatment at public drug addiction treatment facilities.

The draft law also reviews and amends regulations to ensure consistency with the addition of the Crime of illegal use of narcotics in the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Penal Code, which was passed by the 15th National Assembly at the 9th Session.

In addition, the Draft Law completes regulations on controlling legal activities related to drugs to strictly control and create a favorable legal basis for businesses to develop the economy . Completes regulations on decentralization and delegation of authority to the Chief of Commune-level Police, Chairman of Commune-level People's Committee, Director of Provincial Police, Chairman of Provincial People's Committee to ensure compliance with the two-level local government organization model and the task of state management of drug addiction treatment under the Ministry of Public Security.

Need to study more suitable regulations on drug addiction treatment duration

In the review report, Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Society Nguyen Dac Vinh said that the Committee agreed with the necessity of amending the Law stated in the Government's Submission.

The Committee on Culture and Society recommends that the drafting agency note 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.

Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Society Nguyen Dac Vinh presented a summary report on the review of the draft Law on Drug Prevention and Control (amended).

Regarding the duration and process of drug addiction treatment, the majority of the Committee's opinions agree with the regulation on 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, especially 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 compulsory drug addiction treatment for people from 12 to under 18 years old, the Committee proposed to continue studying regulations to ensure openness, flexibility, and suitability to practical conditions in the following direction: Basically, compulsory drug addiction treatment for people from 12 to under 18 years old is carried out in reform schools, and at the same time, 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.

Regarding the control of legal activities related to drugs, it is recommended to continue to consider and review to ensure clear and scientific regulations on the list of drug precursors and the responsibilities of relevant organizations and individuals in the legal control of drugs to ensure feasibility and effectiveness.

Source: https://vtv.vn/du-thao-luat-phong-chong-ma-tuy-sua-doi-tang-thoi-han-cai-nghien-kiem-soat-cac-hoat-dong-hop-phap-100251111110734745.htm