Nguyen Huu Dong, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, head of the provincial delegation of National Assembly deputies and head of the Steering Committee, chaired the conference.

Attending the event were members of the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee; leaders of the district and city Party committees; and members of the Steering Committee.

In the first quarter, the Steering Committee and its assistant groups issued documents leading and directing the work from the provincial to the grassroots levels, especially the implementation of a project on building drug-free communes, wards and townships in Son La province in the 2023-2025 period, with a vision to 2030.

Authorities at all levels have actively disseminated the documents, implemented and assigned specific tasks. The Steering Committee has promoted the role and raised the responsibility of the Party committees and authorities as well as mobilized the strength and the drastic participation of the whole political system and people in drug prevention and control.

The local competent forces detected 395 cases; arrested 496 drug-related criminals; seized 14.28kg of heroin, 6.86kg of opium resin, 40.36g of marijuana; 895 plants containing narcotics, four guns and 14 bullets; and imposed administrative measures on 62 cases and 80 violators in the field of drug prevention and control.

They also successfully persuaded three extremely dangerous and dangerous wanted persons to turn themselves in; and destroyed 1,147 poppies. The province has maintained and promoted the efficiency of 17,441 self-managed groups regarding security and order, 2,427 people's security groups, and 2,413 conciliation groups.

Speaking at the conference, Dong asked members of Steering Committee 297, Party committees, authorities, departments, agencies, mass organizations and units at all levels to strengthen their leadership and direction over drug prevention and control; maintain the practical and effective operations of the Steering Committees at all levels.

He assigned the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to give advice on the development of a project to improve the quality and efficiency of drug rehabilitation, vocational training and job creation, and community reintegration support for drug ex-addicts by 2025, with a vision to 2030.

The health sector should advise the Steering Committee and the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee on the policy of reviewing drug users among Party officials and members, civil servants and public employees; while provincial police should propose specific criteria to guide the development of drug-free communes, wards and townships, he said.

Dong asked the assistant groups of Steering Committee 297 to coordinate with the Party affairs units under the provincial Party Committee to advise the Steering Committee and the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee to persuade the people to join the fight against drug crime. They should give advice on drug prevention and control, and eradication of drug hotspots; crack down drug transport and trafficking organizations and rings, especially transnational, cross-border and inter-provincial rings and those involving a large amount of drug; while strengthening investigation, prosecution and judgment of drug-related criminals.