Vietnam

Historically, Vietnam's opium production and consumption was confined to northern mountainous areas. However, under French colonial rule, opium production was systematized, resulting in the widespread cultivation of the opium poppy. Following its independence from France in 1945, the government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) experienced tension between prohibitionist objectives and the reality of the role that opium production played in the socioeconomic arena. This tension resulted in dissimilar policies in different regions of the newborn state. While opium cultivation and consumption was tolerated in the mountainous areas, consumption of the drug in other areas outside the producing regions was forbidden.

During the Second Indochina War (1959–75), heroin use had become a serious problem in South Vietnam, mainly among American troops and Vietnamese soldiers. Following the inception of the Doi Moi (renovation) policy in 1986, Vietnam's transition from a centrally planned system to a market-oriented economy has resulted in considerable gains across a broad range of socioeconomic measures. However, along with economic development, the country has experienced an increase in social problems, including elevated drug use. Although domestic opium cultivation has decreased markedly, drug use in general has increased sharply, especially in urban areas. The first criminal code to include drug-related crimes was the 1985 Penal Code. Two articles of the Criminal Code, Article 96a and Article 203, define the criminal liability for drug-related crimes. Vietnam's new constitution, adopted in 1992, provides an additional foundation for legislative controls regarding illicit production, trafficking, and use of drugs.

Over the past several years, Vietnam has experienced an increase in illicit drug trafficking. The country's close proximity to the “Golden Triangle” (Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Thailand), permeable national borders, and an extensive coastline, combine to create attractive conditions for smuggling illicit drugs into and out of Vietnam. Between 1999 and 2003, 41,353 drug cases and 55,828 drug traffickers were brought to courts. Death sentences were handed down to 357 traffickers. Prison terms [Page 832]included life imprisonment for 40 traffickers and 15–20 year terms for 2,589 traffickers.

In 1997, with the ratification of the three United Nations (UN) Drug Control Conventions—the 1961 UN Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1988 UN Convention Against the Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances—Vietnam officially entered the international battle against illicit drugs. The outgrowth of this action resulted in the formulation of Vietnam's comprehensive Law on Narcotic Drugs and Prevention and Suppression. The law was approved by the National Assembly in December 2000 and became effective on June 1, 2001. In addition to serving as an important boost to enhance law enforcement, this law recognizes that the prevalence of drugs is a social problem.

Consequently, this view facilitates a more responsive and efficient treatment of drug dependents. Together with prostitution and gambling, drug use in Vietnam is considered a social evil; drug users are not treated as criminals. Rather, Vietnam addresses drug addiction through the provision of mandatory drug detoxification and rehabilitation centers (“06” centers) under the direction of the Ministry of Labour, Invalid and Social Affairs (MOLISA), the agency responsible for organizing and monitoring drug treatment and rehabilitation services nationwide, and the Ministry of Public Security (MPS). Terms of commitment in rehabilitation centers range from two to five years.

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