School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University, Mt Gravatt, QLD, 4122, Australia.
Harm Reduct J. 2024 Nov 20;21(1):204. doi: 10.1186/s12954-024-01103-w.
Since the 1990s, Vietnam has begun prioritising preventing and combating drug-related crimes (supply reduction) and rehabilitating drug users (demand reduction). In the 2000s, harm reduction approaches in relation to drug control began to be recognised as one of Vietnam's opiate substitution therapy methods before embarking on greater drug policy reform in the early 2010s. In implementing the ideology of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the anti-narcotic police forces often apply a zero-tolerance approach to drug traffickers and identify drug users as a priority applies a zero-tolerance approach to drug traffickers and identifies drug users as a priority to send them to prison or compulsory detention centres rather than apply harm reduction as the international standard model to promote health conditions for them without detention. This study conducted a qualitative content analysis of documents by collecting and analysing grey literature on drug policy resources, combined with qualitative interviews with experts and drug policy professionals. Although Vietnam (re)states its commitment to balance the three pillars of harm minimisation in its drug policy reform, my research demonstrates that unclear provisions and blurred policies remain, and the challenges associated with scaling these approaches equally may not be feasible in reality. To do this, this study briefly explains (1) why Vietnam dominates the use of supply reduction-driven measures with 'hard strikes' for drug-related crimes, including the death penalty; (2) why Vietnam continues to use compulsory detention facilities for drug users as the main component of its demand reduction policy; and (3) why Vietnam still struggles to apply harm reduction, including in relation to policing practices. Some specific recommendations are called for further consideration to support harm reduction in policing.
自 20 世纪 90 年代以来，越南开始优先预防和打击与毒品有关的犯罪（减少供应）和康复吸毒者（减少需求）。在 21 世纪初，在实施更大的毒品政策改革之前，与毒品管制有关的减少伤害方法开始被确认为越南阿片类药物替代疗法之一。在实施越南共产党思想的过程中，缉毒警察部队经常对毒贩采取零容忍态度，并将吸毒者视为优先对象，将他们送进监狱或强制拘留中心，而不是采用国际标准模式的减少伤害方法，在不拘留的情况下为他们提供健康条件。本研究通过收集和分析毒品政策资源方面的灰色文献，结合对专家和毒品政策专业人士的定性访谈，对文件进行了定性内容分析。尽管越南（重新）表示承诺在毒品政策改革中平衡减少伤害的三个支柱，但我的研究表明，仍存在规定不明确和政策模糊的问题，而且在现实中，同等扩大这些方法的挑战可能不可行。为此，本研究简要解释了（1）为什么越南主导使用以“严厉打击”为手段的减少供应驱动措施来处理与毒品有关的犯罪，包括死刑；（2）为什么越南继续将强制拘留设施作为减少需求政策的主要组成部分；（3）为什么越南仍然难以实施减少伤害，包括在警务实践方面。需要进一步考虑一些具体建议，以支持警务中的减少伤害。
