Vietnam wants to expand cooperation with international organizations on drug prevention and fight to help combat narcotics smuggling and use in the world, stated Deputy PM Truong Vinh Trong.
As part of his official visit to Austria, on July 19, Deputy PM Truong Vinh Trong had working sessions with Mr. Francis Maertens, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Mr. Gilberto Gerra, Chief of the UNODC Health and Human Development Section, and Mr. Pavel Pachta, Secretary of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB).
During the working sessions, Mr. Trong proposed UNODC maintain and expand cooperative activities with Vietnam on preventing and combating drug-related crimes, and provide the country with technical assistance and experts in drug detoxification, drug effect mitigation among drug users, and construction of pilot detoxification models.
Mr. Maertens confirmed UNODC’s strong commitment to further help for Vietnam in preventing and combating serious crimes, including drug-related ones. UNODC has already assisted the implementation of a project to control drug abuse and HIV among ethnic people in Vietnam. The organization is also implementing other cooperative programs on anti-drug and HIV/AIDS in the 2011–2015 period.
Meeting with Mr. Gilberto Gerra, Chief of the UNODC Health and Human Development Section, Deputy PM Trọng and the host shared experience from countries regarding the use of methadone, a synthetic narcotic, as a therapeutic tool to rehabilitate drug addicts. According to Mr. Gerra, methadone treatment should be conducted under strict regulations and close surveillance for a long period of time.
During the working session with INCB Secretary Pavel Pachta, Mr. Trong said Vietnam is using methadone to rehabilitate drug addicts on a trial basis in big cities, and receiving positive results.
The treatment method has been supported by drug users, their families and the community. However, to save costs from high import prices, the Deputy PM said, Vietnam wants the INCB assist it to produce methadone at lower costs so that more drug addicts can access it.
Mr. Pachta affirmed that INCB will support and assist Vietnam in completing international legal procedures for domestic production of methadone.
