The educational sector officially launched activities in response to the National Anti-Drug Action Month at a ceremony on June 16 at the Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry.

Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Tran Quang Quy said that educating students about the dangers posed by drugs is a key and continuous mission to protect the country’s next generations from the harmful effects of drug crimes.

Quy added that it is important for students to play a critical role in anti-drug work.

This is the second year that the National Target Programme for tackling drugs has been implemented.

In recent years the Department of Education and Training and schools across the country have made progress in raising awareness about dangerous drugs and have successfully launched many educational anti-drug activities.

The work has been overseen by the Government and the National Committee for AIDS, Drugs and Prostitution Prevention and Control.

However, the intricate nature of drug trafficking and turbulent socio-economic conditions has meant that drugs are still entering some educational institutions in the country.

Authorities believe that students may have a weakness for drugs such as marijuana due to a lack of education from their family, the hope of cultivating a ‘cool’ image and peer pressure.

Through holding classes and extracurricular activities promoting work preventing and fighting drug crime, and making each school an anti-drug stronghold, the ministry hopes to help students thoroughly understand the dangers and harmful effects of drugs and addictive substances.

The ministry also wants schools to hold meetings, exhibitions, talks and training courses on the issue to raise the effectiveness of the anti-drug work.

At the ceremony, representatives from Departments of Education and Training from several northern provinces joined with schools, colleges and universities to sign a commitment titled “Students say no to drugs”.-VNA