Under a cooperation agreement signed Tuesday, in the 2020-2025 period, laws will be introduced or amended to help local authorities fight drug-related crime, wean addicts off drugs, punish administrative violations, and reduce prostitution. The Committee and the Court will share information on drug addicts, HIV carriers, and drug, prostitution, and human trafficking trials.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, who is also Chairman of the National Committee for AIDS, Drugs, and Prostitution, said, “We are concerned that countries around the world have failed to map out a treatment program for synthetic drug addicts. This has forced us to, on one hand, fight drug selling, storing, and production and, on the other hand, reduce domestic drug demand. We expect closer cooperation between the two units to treat drug users, prostitutes, and HIV carriers as patients.”