Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam called on the entire community to enddiscrimination against drug addicts and help them integrate into thesociety and rebuild a normal life during a meeting in northern Vinh Phucprovince on June 19.

At the meeting, part ofactivities in response to the 2015 Action Month on Drug Prevention andControl, the Deputy PM urged the youth to take practical actions againstdrugs by keeping themselves and their friends and family away fromdrugs.

He also called on the business circle to giveformer drug addicts a second chance at employment to help themintegrate into the society.

Meanwhile, ChristopherBatt, Head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Vietnam, said drug abuse and trafficking negatively impact the growth andstability of countries around the globe.

The officewill work closely with Vietnam to build effective detoxificationmethods in line with the law to deal with drug dependence, he pledged.

This year, the action month is themed “Joining Handsto help Drug Addicts,” calling for the engagement of the whole communityin drug prevention and control and implementing overall measures toprovide drug addicts with opportunities to integrate into the communitysustainably.

During the meeting, Minister of Labour,Invalids and Social Affairs Le Thi Hai Chuyen expressed hope that eachindividual in the community would volunteer to assist drug addicts.

Statistics showed that by the end of 2014, Vietnam had 204,377drug addicts, mostly young people. As many as 76 percent of the addictsare under 35 years old.-VNA