Laos held a meeting to discuss the control and management of drugs from February 11-13.
According to the Lao National Commission for Drug Control and
Supervision, around 55,000 people living in Laos are vulnerable to
drug addiction.
Eighty percent of those people are
dependent on amphetamines, the remaining 20 percent use opium, heroin,
marijuana and other stimulants.
Speaking at the
meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Asang Laoly called for effective
solutions to reduce and end the growing and production of narcotics in
the country.
The Lao society needs to work together
to reduce the number of amphetamine addicts, especially within the Lao
youth, added Laoly.
Although Laos stated it was a
drug-free country in 2006, the growing of opium poppies in the north of
the country is on the rise.
2013 is the final year of Laos’ drug control 2009–2013 master plan.-VNA