Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong has asked relevant branches and localities to join efforts to create an appropriate national target drug control programme for the 2011-2015 period.

At a meeting to review five years of the implementation of a drug control master plan by 2010 in Hanoi on March 31, Deputy PM Trong asked branches and localities to take measures to increase the effectiveness of drug user rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation management, to help prevent and eliminate drug crime.

According to participants, due to the impacts of the drug situation in the region, drug crime in Vietnam remains complicated despite the fact that the number of managed drug users fell from 178,305 in 2007 to 143,196 in 2010.

Drug trafficking still occurs in border areas, especially in the northwestern, northern central and southwestern regions, they said.

In the period, anti-drug forces detected 60,000 drug-related cases, and seized 91,000 drug criminals with nearly 1 tonne of heroin.

To improve drug prevention activities in the next five years, 2011-2015, the National Committee for AIDS, Drug and Prostitution Prevention and Fight asked relevant ministries and branches to join efforts to detect drug trafficking rings, destroy drug crops and strengthen the promotion and control of the import-export and use of drug substances, drugs and ecstasy./.