Correcting mistakes, building a new life - Part 1

BPO - Drugs are a threat to families and society. Once made a mistake, drug users must pay a heavy price due to the many consequences caused by this addictive substance. What can be done to help drug addicts successfully detoxify, reintegrate into the community, and limit relapse is the goal of the authorities. At the same time, besides the efforts of post-addicts, the help and sharing of family and society are important.

LESSON 1
WAKE UP FROM MISTAKES

There are many reasons why young people get involved in drugs. Some blame their broken marriages; others are sad because their business is not successful; there are also many cases where they try drugs to keep up with their friends... Then they get deeper and deeper into addiction without even realizing it. The consequences are their health and youth are eroded, their future is uncertain. Only when they are sent to a rehabilitation facility, are they informed,educated , and helped do they wake up.

Lost footsteps

VDXV (born in 2004) in Ho Chi Minh City is one of 1,200 students undergoing drug rehabilitation at Drug Rehabilitation Center No. 2 (Phu Nghia Commune, Bu Gia Map District), Department of Drug Crime Investigation, Binh Phuoc Provincial Police, and is considered to have made great efforts in training and labor therapy. Sharing about the time when he went astray, V said: “After finishing 9th grade, I often went out with a group of friends. All-night parties got me hooked on drugs in 2020. There was a time when I continuously used drugs until I lost my mind and awareness, and I instinctively found my way home. In 2024, I was arrested by the authorities, processed and sent to compulsory drug rehabilitation here.”

Labor therapy is a method to help addicts' bodies quickly eliminate toxins. In the photo, students at Rehabilitation Center No. 3 transport fertilizer to grow vegetables.  

V shared more: “According to the decision of the authorities, I have to undergo 15 months of drug rehabilitation at the facility. During my time here, I have learned many things from the propaganda and education staff: Friends only play happily together at that time. After that, each person has to take care of themselves. I have to take responsibility for my own life, not my friends. Therefore, I have to choose my friends to play with and be in control of myself.”

Everything was fine for NTDT in Chon Thanh town until life's upheaval happened. T said: “I used to have a small family. But because my marriage broke down, I was depressed. In particular, the daily struggle to earn money to raise two small children was stressful, making me tired and depressed. I started using drugs in 2017. Since then, drugs have turned me into a completely different person. I lost everything, from the love, affection, and trust of my parents, relatives to my children. After 7 years of being addicted to drugs, in June 2024, I was brought here by the authorities for drug rehabilitation.”

Students at Drug Rehabilitation Center No. 5 weave plastic chairs to earn income.

T, with tears in her eyes, said: “During more than 12 months of drug addiction treatment here, I have experienced many emotions. When I was addicted, I was no longer human. But when I calmed down, I was afraid of everything and wanted my relatives to encourage, comfort, and help me; I wanted everyone to forgive me for my mistakes. Not only did I have to suffer the consequences of going astray, but my children were also severely affected. I am determined to be the most determined to quit and hope to receive everyone's help.”

From March 1, 2025, Binh Phuoc Provincial Police will take over 5 drug rehabilitation facilities from the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Binh Phuoc Province and the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City. Currently, the total number of drug rehabilitation students is 7,217, including more than 1,300 female students.

After years of living with drugs, addicts suffer consequences such as declining health and loss of ability to work. Many cases are at risk of HIV infection. In particular, addicts often commit illegal acts such as theft, robbery, etc. to have money to satisfy their drug needs, seriously affecting their relatives, families and society.

Students progress together

Of the total 7,217 drug addicts in 5 facilities managed by Binh Phuoc Provincial Police, 823 voluntarily went to drug addiction treatment. Each student has a different situation. Some have been addicted for a short time, but some have been addicted for up to 20 years. However, under the management and education of the facility, the students all have good awareness, are conscious of trying to reform, correct mistakes to soon return to their families and the community.

Students of Rehabilitation Center No. 1 scrape cashew nut husks. Working is a way for addicts to forget about drugs. (Thanks to the KTV covering his face)

During the detoxification process, most students will undergo detoxification treatment for 15 days. The remaining time will focus on labor therapy, literacy, and vocational training. Labor therapy is an effective method for detoxifying the body of drug addicts. This is also a solution to help students understand the value and meaning of life.

Early in the morning of a day in June, students at Drug Rehabilitation Center No. 3 (Phu Van Commune, Bu Gia Map District) went to work early for therapy. Some were digging the ground, planting vegetables, others were carrying fertilizer from the warehouse to the garden. The working atmosphere was serious. The trainees worked very hard, their backs covered in sweat. Taking advantage of a few minutes of break to chat, V said: “During the nearly 20 months of drug rehabilitation here, I have worked hard, followed the rules well, and lived a healthy life. My health has now stabilized. According to the decision, I will complete the drug rehabilitation program in about 4 months. However, I am trying hard, hoping that the facility will consider allowing me to complete it ahead of schedule.”

At Sub-area 5, Drug Rehabilitation Center No. 1 (Phu Van Commune, Bu Gia Map District), about 600 male students are organized to peel cashew nuts. Some other students are organized to take care of the garden around the facility. DMT living in Ho Chi Minh City said: "During the day, I go to work, I can sleep well at night. I see many positive changes in my health. Especially, when I work and concentrate on my work, I no longer feel the craving for drugs."

We have organized the educational model “Students progress together”. Each group will have 3 students managing, helping each other, and implementing the rules and procedures of drug addiction treatment well. For example, student A will manage student B; student B will manage student C; student C will manage student A. The classification results of each student are the responsibility of the members in the group. This model helps students improve their discipline, solidarity, and love, thereby achieving high training and drug addiction treatment efficiency.

Captain HA THAN TRONG, Head of Drug Rehabilitation Center No. 5, Drug Crime Investigation Police Department, Binh Phuoc Provincial Police

At Drug Rehabilitation Center No. 5 (Minh Lap Commune, Chon Thanh Town), besides hundreds of students who are organized to weave chairs with plastic fibers in a dome-roofed house, there are many other groups of students planting vegetables and weeding in the labor therapy area. To help students effectively detoxify, in addition to management and rehabilitation methods according to scientific processes such as: Reception, classification; withdrawal treatment, detoxification, treatment of mental disorders; labor therapy, vocational training and education, personality rehabilitation counseling, etc., the facilities also have their own solutions, creating opportunities for students to help each other to continuously improve.

Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/9/174416/sua-lam-loi-xay-doi-moi-bai-1