Deputy Minister of Public Security Senior Lieutenant General Le QuyVuong admitted rising numbers of drug addicts and high drug-use areas atthe 10th meeting of the National Assembly Committee for SocialAffairs held in Ho Chi Minh City on April 14.

Ofthe five criteria in the National Target Programme on Drug Preventionand Control for 2011-2015, two have yet to be met.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, the nation declared 4,450communes and townships drug free in 2010, but the figure fell to alittle more than 3,100 last year.

Vuong attributedthe situation to ineffective rehabilitation models at home and in thecommunity resulting in a high number of drug relapse cases, as well asinsufficient educational communication campaigns about addictivesubstances.

In 2014, Vietnam had more than 204,000registered as drug addicts, up 42.7 percent from 2010, he unveiled,adding that the tentacles of the illicit drugs of various kinds havereached a population from different backgrounds, including students,athletes and intellectuals with more diversified kinds.

As of October 2014, there remained 254 major drug hot-pots and over2,500 focus areas with those in northwest border areas unable to controldrug-related crime, said Deputy Head of the committee Bui Sy Loi.

Vuong said the ministry will devise a drug use prevention programmefor 2016-2020 to submit to the government for approval.

Chairwoman of the committee Truong Thi Mai suggested adding theprogramme into the National Target Programmes or the National TargetProgramme on New Rural Construction.

During themeeting, delegates also heard a report on the implementation of thenational target programme on gender equality and the use and managementof social insurance for 2014.-VNA