On the morning of June 25, the National Assembly passed the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Penal Code with 429/439 delegates pressing the button to approve (accounting for 89.75% of the total number of National Assembly delegates). The law takes effect from July 1.
The Law supplements the crime of illegal use of drugs (Article 256a) in the direction of only handling those who are in the process of drug addiction withdrawal or have just finished the drug addiction withdrawal process but continue to illegally use drugs and is based on the following grounds:
Currently, the situation of drug addiction is very complicated, the number of drug addicts is on the rise.
Drugs are one of the common causes of other crimes such as theft, fraud, extortion, and robbery.
Illegal drug users fall into a state of "petrol", committing particularly serious crimes such as murder, rape... tend to increase.
According to statistics on illegal drug users who commit crimes, from January 1, 2018 to May 31, 2025, the rate of crimes committed by illegal drug users accounts for about 10% of the total number of detected crimes; of which, very serious crimes and particularly serious crimes account for 5.3%.
In particular, the crime of murder committed by drug addicts and illegal drug users during this time was over 200 cases (including over 40 cases of killing relatives in the family).
Current law stipulates the handling of the crime of illegal possession of drugs and this crime is mainly aimed at those who store them for use. Thus, a person after buying drugs for use, if discovered before he can use them, will be prosecuted for illegal possession of drugs, but if he is or has used them, will not be prosecuted for the corresponding behavior.
If drug addicts are not well managed to reduce the number of addicts, it will " spread" to others.
From the above issues, adding the crime of illegal use of drugs is necessary in the current situation.
However, the law does not apply to all people who illegally use drugs but only applies to those who are on drugs or have taken drug addiction treatment, but this measure has "failed", people who have stopped drug addiction continue to illegally use drugs.
According to the approved law, anyone who illegally uses drugs in one of the following cases will be imprisoned from 2 to 3 years:
Currently undergoing drug rehabilitation or drug addiction treatment with replacement drugs according to the provisions of the Law on Drug Prevention and Control.
Currently under post-drug addiction management according to the provisions of the Law on Drug Prevention and Control.
Within 2 years from the date of expiration of the post-drug addiction management period and within the period of management of illegal drug users according to the provisions of the Law on Drug Prevention and Control.
Within 2 years from the date of voluntary termination of drug addiction or treatment of drug addiction with replacement drugs according to the provisions of the Law on Drug Prevention and Control.
Repeat this offense and be imprisoned from 3 to 5 years.
