Pubdate: Fri, 08 Mar 2002
Source: Associated Press (Wire)
Copyright: 2002 Associated Press
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/27

NUMBER OF DRUG ADDICTS IN VIETNAM ROSE 10 PERCENT LAST YEAR

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - The number of drug addicts with police records rose 
by more than 10 percent last year despite a government goal of reducing the 
number of addicts by 10 percent to 20 percent a year over the next five 
years, state-controlled media reported Saturday.

The Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper quoted Vice Minister of Public Security Le 
The Tiem as saying the increase included a larger number of state employees.

"Drug abuse has begun to spread to civil servants and state offices and 
there is a close connection between drug-related crimes ... and organized 
crime," he said.

There are an estimated 130,000 drug addicts with police records in Vietnam, 
of which 11 percent are state employees.

Last year, authorities uncovered 12,811 drug cases and arrested 21,103 
people, the newspaper said.

Vietnam plans to send all known drug addicts through mandatory 
rehabilitation programs over the next five years despite high failure 
rates. Officials say 97 percent of the drug addicts in Hanoi who go through 
the programs return to drugs within five years.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager