Being vigilant alone is not enough!

1. For a long time, the word "drugs," whenever mentioned, has always sent shivers down everyone's spine. Because talking about drugs not only refers to a terribly addictive substance, but more importantly, to the heartbreaking social tragedies and misfortunes associated with it. These tragedies are not uncommon.

For example, consider the widely reported story from 2012. At that time, the public was shocked and outraged by a violent attack that resulted in the deaths of two 7-month-old children and serious injuries to four others in Long Tan commune, Nhon Trach district, Dong Nai province. The cause was that Pham Van Manh (23 years old), under the influence of drugs, used a knife and hoe to indiscriminately attack people from his house to his neighbor's house.

Another serious crime that occurred at 10 PM on May 31, 2012, also involved drugs. The perpetrator was Mr. Vo Tuan Dung (63 years old, residing in Dong Da District, Hanoi ), and the victim was his son, Vo Tuan Cuong (34 years old).

Mr. and Mrs. Dung have two sons. Cuong is the eldest, but he's more interested in playing than studying. By the time he was in high school, Cuong became addicted to drugs. To save their son, Mr. and Mrs. Dung took him to many rehabilitation centers, even chaining him up, but after a while, Cuong relapsed. In 2010, Cuong committed the crime of illegally trafficking drugs and was sentenced to 28 months in prison by the Dong Da District People's Court. He was released from prison in May 2012, but his addiction worsened. He often stole things from the house to sell for money to satisfy his cravings. When he ran out of money, Cuong would vandalize, curse, and beat his parents to demand money. The whole family never had a day of peace.

On the evening of May 31st, Cuong confronted his father: "You have to give me money." When Mr. Dung said he had no money, Cuong immediately yelled, "Do you want to die?!" then grabbed a padlock placed on top of the fish tank and lunged at Mr. Dung, hitting him on the head. When Mr. Dung managed to grab the padlock and fight back, Cuong pushed him back towards the stairs and continued to attack him.

Gathering all his strength, he pushed his son to the ground and repeatedly struck him on the head with a padlock, as if to vent all the frustration, anger, and pain of a helpless father facing his unruly and rebellious child. When he came to his senses, he saw Cuong lying motionless. Overwhelmed with grief at having killed his son, he called the local police to confess his actions…

There are countless tragedies caused by drugs, and each one is heartbreaking and painful…

2. Returning to the case of dietary supplements containing drugs that the Hanoi Police recently discovered.

In mid-July, through forensic examination, the Criminal Technical Department of the Hanoi City Police discovered several types of old drugs appearing in the area, but disguised as dietary supplements with skin-beautifying and cancer-curing properties.

The police agency stated that these drugs were obtained through products called “Lazarus Naturals Full Spectrum CBD TINCTURE” and “Lazarus Naturals RELIEF + RECOVERY CBD MUSCLE GEL” . These “prohibited goods” are disguised as health care products, but contain Delta-9-tetrahydrocanabinol (THC). According to authorities, this is a dangerous drug that poses a threat to human health and social security.

Specifically, the brown liquid inside a brown glass bottle with a black plastic cap labeled “Lazarus Naturals Full Spectrum CBD TINCTURE 1500mg CBD 50 mg CBD per ml” , contained in a rectangular cardboard box labeled “Lazarus Naturals Full Spectrum CBD TINCTURE 1500mg CBD 50 mg CBD per ml” (30ml), contained the drug Delta-9-tetrahydrocanabinol, volume: 30ml.

Accordingly, the brown liquid inside a brown glass bottle with a black plastic cap labeled “Lazarus Naturals Full Spectrum CBD TINCTURE 6000mg CBD 50 mg CBD per ml” , contained in a rectangular cardboard box labeled “Lazarus Naturals Full Spectrum CBD TINCTURE 6000mg CBD 50 mg CBD per ml” (120ml), contained the narcotic Delta-9-tetrahydrocanabinol, volume: 120ml. Delta-9-tetrahydrocanabinol is a narcotic substance extracted from the cannabis plant, listed in Decree 57/2022/ND-CP dated August 25, 2022.

The brown liquid sample inside a brown glass bottle with a black plastic cap labeled “Lazarus Naturals Full Spectrum CBD TINCTURE 750mg CBD 50 mg CBD per ml” , contained in a rectangular cardboard box labeled “Lazarus Naturals Full Spectrum CBD TINCTURE 750mg CBD 50 mg CBD per ml” (15ml), contains the drug Delta-9-tetrahydrocanabinol, volume: 15ml.

Some drugs are disguised as dietary supplements with claims of improving skin appearance or curing cancer.

A 100ml plastic bottle labeled “Lazarus Naturals RELIEF + RECOVERY CBD MUSCLE GEL 2000 MG CBD” contained the drug Delta-9-tetrahydrocanabinol. A 30ml plastic bottle labeled “Lazarus Naturals RELIEF + RECOVERY CBD MUSCLE GEL 600 MG CBD” also contained the drug Delta-9-tetrahydrocanabinol.

3. Drugs are a threat to society as a whole. The consequences and tragedies left by drugs are extremely severe, not only for addicts and their families but also for the entire community. However, this case of drugs disguised as legitimate products shows just how easily drugs can still infiltrate people's lives.

Following the incident, to warn the public, the Hanoi City Police urged everyone to actively participate in reporting drug-related crimes, and to cooperate closely with the police and other relevant agencies in combating drug-related offenses. At the same time, citizens should boldly report any organizations or individuals involved in the illegal possession, sale, or use of narcotics to the local authorities where they reside.

The Food Safety Department stated that, after checking its records, no organization or individual has been registered with the Department for the aforementioned products. It also advises consumers with information regarding these two products to immediately provide it to the relevant authorities for appropriate legal action. Furthermore, relevant authorities have warned the public to be wary of dietary supplements containing narcotic substances such as Delta-9-tetrahydrocanabinol.

Thus, it seems that the responsibility of eliminating and protecting oneself from the threat of drugs lurking in dietary supplements rests heavily on the shoulders of the people, on each individual consumer. The biggest message at this moment is perhaps simply: Be a vigilant and intelligent consumer.

But clearly, with something as dangerous as drugs, and with the increasingly sophisticated methods of deception and disguise used by perpetrators, consumer vigilance or wisdom alone is insufficient. Try searching for the phrase "drugs disguised as dietary supplements," and you'll easily find a multitude of different results. Headlines like "Dismantling a drug trafficking ring disguised as dietary supplements" are no longer rare in the news. This shows that similar incidents have been happening for a long time.

The Drug Crime Investigation Department (C04, Ministry of Public Security ) once stated that, in recent times, two forms of drugs disguised as food have appeared in the world and in Vietnam: "Functional foods containing narcotic substances and drugs mixed and packaged as food or beverages."

Recently, individuals have been secretly bringing cannabis into Vietnam for distribution and use, leading to poisoning incidents such as those in Ha Long (Quang Ninh). Specifically, there was the online sale of cannabis cakes in Hanoi, which was promptly detected and shut down by authorities in December 2019; the case of a group of students in Hoanh Bo (Quang Ninh) who used candy containing narcotics and suffered poisoning requiring emergency treatment in October 2021; the sale of mango juice containing narcotics in Ho Chi Minh City in October 2020; and the sale of chocolate containing narcotics in Dong Anh, Hanoi...

To prevent this type of crime, the Drug Crime Investigation Department stated that in the coming time, it will implement many solutions simultaneously, such as: Coordinating with functional agencies such as customs and market management to strengthen inspection, detection, and handling of goods, including food products of unknown origin, imported into Vietnam to prevent harm to the community.

Therefore, it is clear that, to date, with many cases of "drugs disguised as dietary supplements" still having the opportunity to recur, the above solutions have not been thoroughly implemented. Thus, relying solely on consumer vigilance and wisdom is insufficient.

Nguyen Ha

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ma-tuy-doi-lot-thuc-pham-chuc-nang-su-canh-giac-thoi-chua-du-post256988.html