Augmenting numbers of synthetic drugs users has become the social concern

	Illegal importation of pre-chemicals will be subject to criminal penalties
	Arrest a person transported 2,000 synthetic drugs
	Dien Bien Customs coordinated to arrest a subject who transported 22,000 tablets of Ecstasy

Synthetic drugs impact significantly on human physical health and well-being (Photo: Drug addict was using Methadone at Le Chan, Hai Phong). Source: DN.

Concerned figures

On the matter of drug use in the world, including Vietnam, Mr. Hoang Dinh Canh - the Deputy Director of the Department of HIV/AIDS Control, Ministry of Health, has assessed that the total number of drug users worldwide is approximately around 225 million, while there are about 29.5 million in Vietnam that are suffering the severe results of drug use (accounting for 11.5%).

On the trend of drug use in Vietnam over the past 10 years, according to Mr. Hoang Dinh Canh, the country has recorded 222,582 cases of drug users with management profiles, of which 96% are males and 4% females, increasing 11.131% in comparison to 2016. Particularly, heroin is still the most widely used one, accounting for 65% to 85% in total; the percentage of opium addicts decreased from 92.7% down to only 6,4%. Another proportion belongs to Amphetamine (synthetic drug) drastically increasing from 1.5% (2001) up to 6.5% (2012) and even to 9.8% (2016).

On further analysis of current drug use, the Deputy Director of the Department of HIV/ AIDS Control said that data from 21 provinces showed that the number of synthetic drug users accounted for 46%. Some provinces have a synthetic drug use rate of 80% of total drug users such as in Tra Vinh, Da Nang, Quang Tri.

It is not only increasing in volume, but also in intensity and the harmfulness that these drugs can cause to health issues. Accordingly, drug users are all at risk of getting infected with HIV and others blood-related diseases. Apart from seriously affecting physical health, the drug users also suffer from hallucinations, mental disorders, causing very dangerous behaviors against the community and society. Some cases of barbaric murders have occurred in Hanoi, Hai Phong, etc., as clear evidence of the harmful consequences of this situation.

What is happening is that the numbers of synthetic drug users are increasing rapidly, especially with youths and adolescents, according to Ms. Nguyen Thuy Linh, Children and Youth Program Manager at Center for Supporting Community Development Initiatives. ‘Objectively, in the current social conditions, many families do not have leisure time to understand and to keep track of their child's mental development’.

Nonetheless, through sociological surveys on drug users in the major cities of Hanoi, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Nghe An ... they show that a large proportion of young drug users do not have a birth certificate, no household registration book, and no school records what so ever; moreover, 50% of teenagers and adolescents that live in an incomplete family, many of them also live in an abusive household, sexual abuse, unhappy families.

Toward subjectivity leading to the addiction, according to Ms. Linh, ‘some youths and adolescents do not intend to use these substances, but due to the encouragements of friends to self-prove and individualism, makes them use it mindlessly’.

‘Besides, some others are curious about how a substance tastes. Mainly, curiosity and lack of knowledge have caused many unfortunate consequences later. On the other hand, due to synthetic drugs being easy to try, easy to use, and suitable for a fun atmosphere in vibrant playgrounds, for youth recreation, including bars, karaoke and discos’.

Also according to her assessment, there is a notion in young people’s minds today that as a person to have used synthetic drugs they are trendy, and under the misconception that the use of synthetic drugs are only for the thrill, irrational emotions, instant excitement, and will not be addictive so it should be safe to use.

Is there a cure for synthetic drug use?

Currently, on the market, there are many new types of synthetic drugs with numerous ingredients, dosage forms, as well as many different names. Dr. Duong Thi Huong, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy said, “Conventional dosage forms including mixtures of different substances makes it difficult to determine the specific composition and concentration. On the other hand, subjects often use a variety of different substances, leading to a variety of clinical conditions.”

Meanwhile, according to Ms. Khuat Thi Hai Oanh, Director of Center for Supporting Community Development Initiatives, “The reality is that detoxification for this group is difficult to implement. Accordingly, for heroin withdrawal, drug addicts that only take about 3 months to stop the withdrawal attacks have not detoxed, but if you want to stop drug addiction, the withdrawal time can be up to 18 to 24 months. This long time period is to maintain stability.

Additionally, relapse is still very common because the psychological effect of the drug is strong and strengthened after each use, thus causing the phenomenon of "drug hunger" that usually occurs in the brain of drug addicts. "Not to mention, some new drugs do not have quick tests to determine them, especially with conditions in Vietnam with limited means and funds to test and determine what drugs the objects are using," said Mrs Oanh.

Also, according to the medical experts, expected in the coming years, the situation of drug crime and drug abuse in Vietnam will be complicated for several reasons. The pressure of the drug situation is that drug addiction in the world and countries in Southeast Asia has always been increasing, especially in Laos, China, Myanmar and Thailand.

In order to help drug addicts overcome the withdrawal syndrome and maintain anti-relapse, according to Ms. Khuat Thi Hai Oanh, ‘unlike other drugs such as heroin, which has an alternative substance called methadone, synthetic drugs can only be treated with interventions conducted by harm reduction psychological therapy, because behavior directly impacts the perception of addicts. Currently, there are three techniques used in the treatment of drug addiction treatment with short interventions, motivational counselling and cognitive behavioral therapy’. "All these therapies are consulting to help the user perceive the harm, the danger of using synthetic drugs, etc., thereby helping them towards self-realization for knowing how to escape the dangers of drug use,” Ms. Oanh stressed.

HCM City Customs: Seize 5 cases of transporting narcotics in the beginning of 2018 VCN - In the first month of 2018, the HCM City Customs Department has discovered 5 cases ...

According to Mr. Canh, in order to limit the proportion of users of synthetic drugs, investigators of drug crimes (Police, Army, Customs) need to well implement the Regulation No. 113 of the Prime Minister on drug prevention and combat, especially the Police of Drug investigation must take the initiative in conducting basic surveys and regularly review the statistics on drug addicts and suspected drug addicts required and given in records on education, reformatory and rehabilitation centers; actively calling for deterrence of conditional subjects, the possibility of drug offences, drug addicts; effectively prevent and fight against drugs transported from abroad into Vietnam; aggressively investigate to break the complex lines and loci purchasing drugs, contributing to reducing the supply of illegal drugs.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs need to strengthen the policy of poverty reduction and social welfare for ethnic minorities in remote areas, especially border areas. “The people need to develop by themselves and to not be abused by drug offenders” Mr. Canh said.