The Government has decided to confer certificates of merits upon 51 units and 36 individuals for their contributions to drug control during 2001-2005 period.

In addition to drug squads, awarded agencies and citizens include a number of civil agencies such as the Student Management Service under the Ministry of Education and Training and the Steering Board for Drug, Prostitute, AIDS, and Evil Cultural Product Control.

Vietnam is getting tough in the fight against drug-related crime with a number of imprisonment and death sentences handed down on criminals such as a recent death sentence for a 30-year-old Laotian on charges of drug trafficking.