Nearly half of Vietnamese drug users aged 12 to 30: police

As of October, the total number of individuals involved in illegal drug use, addiction, or under post-rehabilitation management in Vietnam stands at nearly 230,000.

Among these, 44.6% are aged 12 to 30, while those over 30 account for 55.4%, the ministry's representatives said at an online conference on drug demand reduction held on Monday.

The majority of drug users - 60% - are either unemployed or working unstable jobs. Synthetic drugs remain the most commonly abused substances.

The problem is further exacerbated by an increase in cases where individuals rent hotels, apartments, or luxury resorts to host drug parties.

The use of substances such as "laughing gas" and drugs disguised in food, beverages, herbs, and e-cigarettes has surged, especially among teenagers and young adults, according to the ministry.

Since 2022, law enforcement agencies have uncovered over 67,000 drug cases, arrested more than 105,000 suspects, and confiscated over 1.6 tons of heroin, 1.7 tons of cannabis, and more than 7.6 tons and seven million pills of synthetic drugs.

Currently, the number of drug users and addicts in the community exceeds 95,600 individuals. Authorities consider this a significant "demand" for drugs, which poses risks of associated crimes such as theft, robbery, and intentional injury.

A rising number of government officials, public servants, celebrities and football players have been reported to be involved in illegal drug use, the ministry found.

Ho Chi Minh City police arrested Spanish model Andrea Aybar, 29, and Vietnamese singer Chi Dan, 34, earlier this month on charges related to illegal drug possession and organizing drug use. Their arrests are part of an ongoing investigation into a drug trafficking operation active since March 2023, which allegedly smuggled narcotics from France into Vietnam through airports.

To combat the issue, the Ministry of Public Security plans to conduct comprehensive screenings to identify drug users and addicts, dismantle drug hotspots, and crack down on suspects involved in retail drug sales. Awareness campaigns will target students, industrial workers, construction site laborers, and residents of regulated businesses and apartment complexes.

Additionally, law enforcement aims to focus not only on mid-level operations but also on dismantling entire drug networks. Judicial agencies have been instructed to enforce stricter penalties for illegal drug possession to address the issue more effectively.