Closely combine prevention and control, reduce supply and demand, and reduce the harmful effects of drugs.

The Social Committee requests the Agency in charge of developing the National Target Program on Drug Prevention and Control to continue to review and ensure comprehensiveness, closely combine prevention and control, reduce supply and demand, and the harmful effects of drugs.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long explains and clarifies a number of issues raised by National Assembly deputies. (Photo: Doan Tan/VNA)

On the morning of November 8, at the National Assembly House, continuing the 8th Session, the National Assembly listened to the Report and Verification Report on the investment policy of the National Target Program on Drug Prevention and Control to 2030.

Presenting the Report at the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long said that the drug situation in the world, the region and neighboring countries is increasingly complicated and serious, directly affecting and increasing the risks and pressures on drug prevention and control work in our country.

The drug situation in the country is very complicated and unpredictable with the number of cases, subjects and seized drug evidence tending to increase over the years. The number of addicts and illegal drug users remains very high, occurring in all groups, ages and areas. The number of communes, wards and towns with drug abuse nationwide has not decreased and accounts for the majority (83.7%).

Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long emphasized that the overall goal of the Program is to promote the combined strength of the political system and the entire population to control, prevent and repel drug crimes and evils; aiming to reduce supply, reduce demand and reduce the harmful effects of drugs.

Organize the prevention and combat of drug-related crimes early and from afar; do not let Vietnam become a place for the production, transit and consumption of drugs; promote the application of science and technology and advanced equipment in the fight against drug-related crimes.

Ensure facilities and human resources, improve the quality and effectiveness of drug addiction treatment and rehabilitation; support medical and psychological interventions, and provide legal aid to drug addicts, illegal drug users, people participating in drug addiction treatment, people after drug addiction treatment, and drug law violators who are eligible for legal aid.

Gradually and sustainably reduce the number of drug addicts and illegal drug users; contribute to better care and protection of human rights; build a safe and healthy social environment, effectively serving the cause of economic and social development of the country.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that the agency in charge of managing the Program is the Ministry of Public Security. The agencies and units coordinating and implementing the Program include the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs; Ministry of Health; Ministry of National Defense; Ministry of Finance; Ministry of Planning and Investment; Ministry of Information and Communications; Ministry of Education and Training; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Industry and Trade; Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Vietnam General Confederation of Labor and related ministries and agencies; Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations; People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities.

The Program will be implemented nationwide from 2025 to the end of 2030. In 2025, activities will be carried out to develop policy mechanisms, a system of documents and guidance documents for implementing the Program's tasks, a system for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the Program; and training and improving the capacity of Program management staff.

Phase 2026-2030: synchronously and comprehensively implement the goals and tasks set out by 2030. The total capital to implement the Program is 22,450,194 billion VND.

Examining this content, Chairwoman of the Social Committee Nguyen Thuy Anh said that the Social Committee, the Ethnic Council and the Committees of the National Assembly highly agree with the necessity of submitting to the National Assembly for approval the investment policy of the Program with the political basis, legal basis and practical basis stated in the Submission.

The Program dossier was prepared by the Government seriously, elaborately, in accordance with the process and procedures, basically meeting the provisions of the Law on Public Investment. The objectives, criteria, development, appraisal of the Program's investment policy, and meeting the conditions for deciding on the Program's investment policy comply with the provisions of the Law on Public Investment and relevant laws.

National Assembly delegate of Ben Tre province Nguyen Thi Le Thuy speaks. (Photo: Doan Tan/VNA)

The program sets out general goals, specific goals, 20 targets, and implementation nationwide, which are basically consistent with the key and urgent tasks of drug prevention and control in the coming time.

However, the Social Committee recommends that the Agency in charge of developing the Program continue to review the provisions on general objectives to ensure comprehensiveness, close combination between prevention and control, between supply reduction, demand reduction, and reduction of drug harm, as a basis for specifying specific objectives.

Ensure the connection between the objectives and targets of the Program with the objectives, targets and tasks, solutions, contents and activities in the component projects; ensure that the set objectives and targets are feasible, effective and non-overlapping. Continue to evaluate and review the objectives and targets that are close to the core tasks and the ability of the investment capital to implement the projects.

To ensure timely capital and effective implementation of the Program, the Chairman of the Social Committee requested the Agency in charge of developing the Program to clarify the regulations on: principles, criteria, and norms for allocating central budget capital, the proportion of local budgets to implement the Program; capital allocation plan, focusing on capital investment, avoiding dispersion and waste, having a plan to phase in appropriate infrastructure investment in order of priority for difficult and key areas; not using Program capital to spend on activities under state management tasks that have been allocated from the state budget for regular expenditure; ensuring feasibility in terms of time and tasks for implementing the Program.

The Social Committee believes that in order for drug prevention and control to be effective, the entire political system and the people need to be involved. Therefore, it is recommended to study additional tasks and funding, and strengthen the role of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations, especially the Women's Union at all levels, in drug prevention and control.

Regarding the management, organization and specific mechanisms for implementing the Program, the Chairman of the Social Committee stated that assigning the Government to issue the management, organization and specific mechanisms for implementing the Program as in the draft Resolution is basically appropriate and ensures feasibility.

To overcome the difficulties encountered in implementing the National Target Programs in the past, the Social Committee requests that the Agency in charge of developing the Program continue to research and review the management and implementation mechanisms of the Program to ensure feasibility; research and determine carefully the content and implementation time of specific mechanisms and policies to implement the Program and demonstrate the authority to issue them in the draft Resolution of the National Assembly./.

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