Over the years, the Party and State have issued a number of policies and taken a number of measures to combat the trafficking of addictive substances and drug-related crime.
Since 1997, the anti-drug police have uncovered 172,000 cases, arrested more than 283,000 offenders, and confiscated over 3,179kg of heroin, 4,558 kg of opium, 30,000kg of dried marijuana, 87kg of cocaine and about 1.7 million methamphetamine pills, together with weapons and assets worth trillions of VND.
They also busted and eradicated 7,872 drug hotspots.
A number of effective anti-drug models in residential areas have been duplicated nationwide.
Speaking at the meeting, President Quang described the anti-drug campaign as a crucial, urgent and long-term task for the world and Vietnam in particular.
He asked the Party committees and authorities at all levels to direct the campaign, considering it a regular political task, while mobilising collective power to realise the national strategy on drug prevention and control until 2020 with plans for 2030.
The State leader urged the anti-drug police to work closely with border and coast guards, local customs and police and concerned agencies to fight transnational drug rings, eradicate drug manufacture and storage sites and prevent the replanting of plants containing addictive substances.
Relevant agencies were asked to improve the efficiency of collaboration with their foreign counterparts, especially those in neighbouring countries, as well as to effectively combat the smuggling of drugs into Vietnam and to raise public awareness of the dangers of drugs and the complicated tricks of drug dealers.
The people being honoured will gather later at a ceremony that will also commemorate 22 officers and people who laid down their lives for the anti-drug effort.
It is part of a series of activities celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the Anti-Drug Police (March 12).
