Ho Chi Minh City launches month-long anti-drug crackdown

Under a plan recently issued by the municipal administration, the Action Month Against Drugs runs from June 1 to June 30 and seeks to mobilize state agencies at all levels and the public in efforts to prevent and combat drug-related crimes.

The campaign is also intended to raise public awareness and strengthen community responsibility in building drug-free wards, communes and special zones across the city.

City authorities will tighten coordination among government departments, local administrations and police forces during a 45-day comprehensive sweep to clean up areas with complex security issues.

Throughout June, law enforcement agencies will conduct a citywide crackdown on drug crimes, concentrating on dismantling transnational and interprovincial trafficking networks and criminal organizations.

Officials said special attention will be paid to preventing the emergence of new drug hotspots and ensuring that Ho Chi Minh City does not become an international drug transit hub.

The campaign also includes tighter management of illegal drug users, individuals undergoing rehabilitation and former addicts returning to society.

Authorities plan to strengthen post-rehabilitation monitoring and expand support programs to facilitate community reintegration.

The city vows strict punishment for those who shelter or assist drug criminals, while accelerating investigations, prosecutions, and trials of major drug cases.

The southern metropolis will also closely monitor legal activities involving drugs, chemicals, and precursors to prevent misuse.

Inspections will be intensified in sectors at risk of violations.

Alongside enforcement, extensive awareness campaigns will be rolled out in schools, industrial zones, businesses, residential areas, and online platforms.

Messaging will focus on the dangers of new synthetic drugs, drugs disguised as food and e-cigarettes.

Local authorities are tasked with building drug-free neighborhoods and ensuring 100 percent of eligible addicts are sent to compulsory rehabilitation centers.