Decriminalising Drug Use in Vietnam: Lessons and Recommendations

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Luong, Hai
Le, Quang Toan
Lam, Tien Dung
Ngo, Gia Bac
Tran, Minh Huong
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2019
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Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong

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Background: In 2009, Vietnam declared officially to decriminalize drug use in their criminal law. From offender to patient, drug user has been still facing a number of challenges and vulnerabilities when Vietnam want to combine between harm reduction and supply and demand reduction. Methods: To make clearly police’s voices in the progress of decriminalizing drug use in 2009, the study used mixed methods research through conducting a content analysis of a number of core legislations in terms of drug policies and control in Vietnam and combining a interviewing of key informants from different backgrounds in Government and its related bodies, Non-government organization, United Nations and local police forces. Results: While most interviewers assumed that decriminalizing drug use in Vietnam is considered as one of the most important milestones in drug policy’s changes since 2009 till now, others still concern how government concretize effective policies to balance between three pillar strategies – supply, demand, and harm reduction. The initiative pilot of Hanoi’s authorities to implement the model of social and legal sonsulting, sssisted referral for drug users (Planning No.40) that could be considered as one of the practical recommendations to balance and prioritize harm reduction interventions with active involvements of law enforcement agencies in the process of decriminalizing drug use. Conclusions: As the first study to review and assess the progress of decriminalizing drug use after one decade, the paper contributes to understanding more deeply about Vietnam’s provisions to balance and improve harm reduction interventions in drug control.

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1st Asia Regional Meeting of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy: Drug Policy in Asia: Rights, Wrongs and Emerging Trends

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Luong, H; Ngo, GB; Le, QT; Lam, TD; Tran, MH, Decriminalising Drug Use in Vietnam: Lessons and Recommendations, 1st Asia Regional Meeting of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy: Drug Policy in Asia: Rights, Wrongs and Emerging Trends, 2019, pp. 34-34