PM: Laos attaches great importance to fight against drugs

Laos has placed a strong emphasis on combatting drug abuse and illicit trafficking, joining the international community in battling the drug trade, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith (pic) has said.

The premier delivered the message joining the world in marking the 33rd International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which fell on June 26.

Drug abuse is a widespread global problem and poses dangers for all humankind. It is the root of crime and hinders socio-economic development, PM Thongloun said.

“Drug abuse causes great harm to the victims and their families,” PM Thongloun said in the message, adding that illicit drug production and trade had become a transnational crime.

Some 269 million people used drugs worldwide in 2018, an increase of 30 percent compared to 2009, according to the latest World Drug Report released on June 25 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

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