Amending the Law on Drug Prevention and Control: Proposal to increase the duration of drug addiction treatment

(Chinhphu.vn) - The Law on Drug Prevention and Control (amended) proposes to increase the period of drug addiction rehabilitation for the first time to 24 months, and for the second time or more to 36 months.

Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang briefly presented the draft Law on Drug Prevention and Control (amended).

On the morning of November 11, continuing the working program of the 10th session, the National Assembly listened to the Presentation and Verification Report on the draft Law on Drug Prevention and Control (amended).

Briefly presenting the Proposal for the Law on Drug Prevention and Control (amended), General Luong Tam Quang, Politburo member and Minister of Public Security, said that through the process of summarizing and monitoring the Law on Drug Prevention and Control in 2021, in addition to the achieved results, difficulties and inadequacies have been revealed; at the same time, to ensure the implementation of the task of state management of drug addiction treatment and post-drug addiction treatment management transferred to the Ministry of Public Security, it is necessary to study to amend and supplement to suit the reality.

According to Minister Luong Tam Quang, the draft law retains the same scope of regulation as the 2021 Law on Drug Prevention and Control. The content of the draft law ensures consistency with relevant legal documents and is compatible with international treaties. The drafting of the law has followed the procedures prescribed by the Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents.

The draft Law on Drug Prevention and Control (amended) includes the following basic contents: Completing regulations on supplementing regulations on controlling legal activities related to drugs to strictly control and create a favorable legal basis for businesses to develop the economy.

Regulations on drug addiction treatment duration, drug addiction treatment process, management of illegal drug users, drug addicts in families and communities, treatment of opioid addiction with substitution drugs, people under post-drug addiction management, people aged 18 and over undergoing compulsory or voluntary drug addiction treatment in compulsory drug addiction treatment facilities, people aged 12 and under 18 undergoing compulsory or voluntary drug addiction treatment in reform schools; ensure consistency with other relevant specialized legal regulations and suitability with the current conditions of Vietnam and in the following years.

Complete the regulations on transferring authority from the People's Committee at the commune level to the Commune Police. At the same time, amend and supplement the regulations to implement decentralization and delegation in 5 contents to the Chief of Commune Police, Director of Provincial Police, Chairman of Provincial People's Committee to ensure compliance with the new local government organization model and the transfer of state management tasks on drug addiction treatment from the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (old) to the Ministry of Public Security.

Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Social Affairs Nguyen Dac Vinh presented the inspection report.

Presenting 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.

The Committee recommends that the drafting agency note that the amendment to 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.

At the same time, 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.

Regarding the duration and process of drug addiction treatment, according to the drafting agency, increasing the duration of drug addiction treatment contributes to improving the quality of drug addiction treatment. On this issue, the majority of opinions of the Committee agree with the regulation to increase the duration of drug addiction treatment.

However, the Committee recommends that it is necessary to study more appropriate regulations on the duration of drug addiction treatment, especially for first-time drug addicts and drug addicts who are raising young children. The duration of drug addiction treatment should be shorter or regulated to not exceed 24 months for first-time drug addicts and not exceed 36 months for second-time drug addicts and subsequent drug addicts.

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.

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

Therefore, the Committee recommends continuing to study regulations to ensure openness, flexibility, and suitability to practical conditions in the direction that, in essence, compulsory drug addiction treatment for people from 12 to under 18 years old is carried out at reform schools; assigning 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.

In Article 28 on Duration and process of drug addiction treatment in the draft Law: Duration of drug addiction treatment for first-time drug addicts is 24 months, for second-time drug addicts or more is 36 months.

Thu Giang

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/sua-luat-phong-chong-ma-tuy-de-xuat-tang-thoi-han-cai-nghien-102251111120222276.htm