HANOI, March 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Vietnam planed to reduce at least 50
percent of opium poppy re-growing acreage and basically
eradicating major drug dens this year.
   The targets were set forth at a conference reviewing the
implementation of a five-year drug control program (2001-2005)
held here on Friday.
   To reach the targets, six projects on eradicating poppy growing
acreage, combating drug-related crimes, increasing efficiency of
detoxification for drug addicts, applying traditional medicine
prescriptions in drug detoxification, building drug-free communes,
wards, offices and units, and boosting international cooperation
in drug control, will continuously be carried out this year.
   In 2001, about 670 complicated drug dens were eradicated while
33,000 drug addicts were helped to quit their addiction,
accounting for 33 percent of the registered drug addicts. Opium
poppy re-growing acreage was reduced by 77 hectare or 25 percent
of the total acreage last year.
   However, drug addiction developed last year with the number of
drug addicts increasing 10 percent as compared to 2000.  Enditem