The Standing Committee of the National Assembly of Vietnam is currently reviewing a new draft regulation regarding court procedures for ordering mandatory rehabilitation for drug addicts aged 12 to 18. This step represents a significant revision of previous regulations, amending 44 out of 48 existing articles to address challenges in handling youth drug cases.
A crucial point in this draft is the efficiency of processing time. Courts are now required to act faster, with the decision-making deadline reduced from 15 days to 10 working days. For highly complex cases, the handling duration is also shortened from 30 days to a maximum of 20 days.
In addition to administrative acceleration, the Vietnamese government has begun adopting electronic systems for inter-agency document and data exchange. National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man emphasized the importance of synergy among the police, health authorities, and relevant agencies to minimize data fragmentation, which has been a bureaucratic hurdle. Data security within this electronic system is a top priority to protect individual privacy.
Beyond legal aspects, the government is also promoting the diversification of recovery methods. The primary focus is no longer solely on placement in centralized rehabilitation facilities, but on social reintegration. The use of post-rehabilitation monitoring technology is highlighted to track the progress of former addicts when moving between regions, ensuring their successful recovery into society.
With the 2025 Law on Drug Prevention and Control having taken effect on July 1, this regulation is expected to provide a strong foundation for strengthening home- and community-based rehabilitation, given the currently limited capacity of state-run rehabilitation facilities.
