Heartbreaking stories from young drug addicts

(LĐXH) - Drug addiction is becoming a more pressing issue than ever, especially as addicts are getting younger and spreading to students.

Not only is there an increasing trend, but the age of drug users is also getting younger. This not only causes health consequences but also has a profound impact on security, order and community life.

Ms. Dam Thi Minh Thu, Director of the Department of Social Crime Prevention: Young people are addicted to drugs for many reasons, most of which come from the children themselves.

Alarming numbers

Currently, the country has 226,000 drug addicts, illegal drug users and people under post-rehabilitation management with management records. The age of drug users is getting younger, about 60% of first-time drug users are between the ages of 15 and 25, including many children aged 13 and 15.

Of the 95% of synthetic drug users, 70-75% are between the ages of 17-35, with a large proportion being young people and students.

According to data from the Department of Social Evils Prevention and Control ( Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs ), the number of young drug addicts undergoing compulsory and voluntary drug rehabilitation also tends to increase.

From January 1, 2022 to March 14, 2024, 110 drug rehabilitation facilities nationwide (97 public facilities, 13 non-public facilities) received 98,986 people for rehabilitation, of which 97 public facilities received 76,450 people for compulsory rehabilitation (249 people under 18 years old), 17,463 people for voluntary rehabilitation (311 people under 18 years old); at 13 non-public facilities, 5,073 people registered for voluntary rehabilitation (9 people under 18 years old).

According to Ms. Dam Thi Minh Thu, Director of the Department of Social Evils Prevention and Control, young people can become addicted to drugs for many different reasons, most of which come from the children themselves. Due to a lack of understanding of the harmful effects of drugs, many children are incited and lured into using drugs by bad people.

Some children, out of curiosity and a desire to express themselves, have taken the initiative to use drugs. Others have a mentality of competition, enjoyment, and loose living, and are easily lured and led astray. Some cases, due to family circumstances, parents divorced, family discord, orphans, or economic difficulties, are bored, lonely, and unable to control themselves, so they turn to drugs.

Meanwhile, the tricks of drug criminals are increasingly sophisticated; the subjects have produced many new generation drugs with high toxicity, with eye-catching forms that attract the curiosity and exploration of young people, disguised as "fun water", milk tea or marinated in food, drinks, electronic cigarettes... so they can easily attract and entice young people.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Vien, Director of the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department, said that the situation of drug crimes and drug abuse in our country is very complicated; notably, the illegal use of drugs under many sophisticated tricks is taking place in many localities, especially big cities where many educational institutions are concentrated.

Among them, the alarming situation is drug addiction among young people, teenagers, and students.

In the past 10 months, there have been nearly 800 people using synthetic drugs showing signs of psychosis and being "stoned", causing 33 criminal cases, including 4 murders.

Authorities have discovered 4 cases of officials and teachers in educational institutions violating drug laws; 61 cases of students violating drug laws (30 cases of students violating administrative drug laws, 31 cases of students committing drug crimes).

Heartbreaking stories

NVH, 17 years old, is being treated at Hanoi Drug Rehabilitation Center No. 2 and said: “At first, my friend invited me and said it was okay, so I decided to try it once. From then on, I became addicted without realizing it, and I even used drugs at school.

Every time I use it, I seem to forget all the stress and pressure of my family and life. Now I see the harmful effects of drugs, it only makes everything worse."

At the beginning of the year, seeing H. showing unusual signs and losing weight, the family became suspicious, questioned him, took him for testing and found out that H. was addicted. Since then, H.'s mother has paid more attention and care to him, advising him to quit, but drugs have "soaked" into his body, he cannot forget. Seeing that staying at home could not make H. give up drugs, the family was determined to take him to rehab.

T.D.B. (18 years old) said that at first he used drugs because of too much stress and pressure from his family about studying and taking exams. Then he got addicted to drugs without realizing it because of the mistaken idea that it would help him relieve his stress. The deeper he sank, the more he realized that he was wrong and dragged himself into a black hole of despair.

“To get money for drugs, I pawned money and things in the house, even stole things from neighbors. What I regret the most is that I made my parents and family suffer. Because of this, my mother was shocked and had to be hospitalized,” T.D.B. shared.

The above are just two of many cases of drug addiction among young people due to lack of understanding of the harmful effects of drugs and lack of family attention.

As the person directly managing and treating many young drug addicts, each with different circumstances and fates, Mr. Hoang Van Luat, Director of Hanoi Drug Rehabilitation Center No. 2, said: Currently, the facility manages and treats 687 compulsory drug addicts, of which 32 are under 18 years old (8 female).

In recent years, the number of drug users admitted to compulsory drug rehabilitation facilities has been getting younger. Since being assigned the task of receiving subjects under 18 years old, the facility has received and managed more than 70 children from 12 to under 18 years old.

“Looking at children the same age as our children and grandchildren makes us feel heartbroken. To take care of this special group, in addition to health care, behavioral education, and occupational therapy, the facility also pays attention to their spiritual life, such as organizing age-appropriate recreational activities, regularly sending staff to ask questions, learn about their thoughts and aspirations to grasp the actual situation, thereby adjusting appropriate management, education, and counseling methods.

The facility also creates conditions for children to participate in vocational training classes so that when they return to the community, they can find stable jobs and avoid relapse," Mr. Luat shared.

Part II: Community cooperation is needed

Thuy Huong

Labor and Social Affairs Newspaper No. 130

A delegation from the Department of Social Evils Prevention and Control inspected Drug Rehabilitation Center No. 2 of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Volunteer Force.

Subjects at Hanoi Drug Rehabilitation Center No. 2 during physical exercise. Photo: TH

Source: https://dansinh.dantri.com.vn/xoa-doi-giam-ngheo/nhung-cau-chuyen-dau-long-tu-nguoi-tre-nghien-ma-tuy-20241028200745431.htm