A member of the Ream commune council recently warned two young drug users at their home in Preah Sihanouk province’s Prey Nop district during an educational outreach aimed at gathering addicts for rehabilitation and detoxification.

“Now, both of you, I’m giving you a chance to turn things around. From today, don’t do it again. If you don’t stop and try to improve, I’ll take you to the rehabilitation centre next time,” he told them.

Commune officials explained that the door-to-door outreach and efforts to educated youths struggling with drugs are intended to prevent their addiction from spiralling out of control and causing serious problems for their families, neighbours and law enforcement.

This comes in light of a recent incident on August 29, when a young police officer in Phnom Penh was stabbed to death by an addict.

Over the past four months, police, commune council members and village security guards have identified around 30 drug users and sent them to rehabilitation centres, following directives from the provincial leadership.

Hin Treung, a member of the Ream commune council, said that the outreach is carried out in response to complaints from parents, families or local residents.

He said for those in the early stages of drug use, his team provides education and guidance, asking them to quit within 15 days. If they fail to comply, they are brought in for testing at the commune police station and sent to a rehabilitation centre.

“I take action without fear. We have the backing of the provincial administration, and these kids are just starting out with drugs. They haven’t completely lost control yet, so we step in to educate them before it gets worse,” Treung said.

He added that if the individuals stop using drugs as instructed, they are allowed to remain at home under the team’s supervision.

“But if their addiction is severe, and we fear they might cause harm if left at home, we report it to the police and send them to the rehabilitation centre. We assess the situation, and if they are heavily addicted, we send them to a safer place [the rehab centre] because, at that stage, they’re beyond our control,” he explained.

Despite the challenges, there have been no serious incidents like injuries or deaths involving addicts in Ream commune, thanks to the proactive and timely cooperation of the authorities.

According to Treung, questioning users revealed they were lured into drug use by friends or acquaintances.

“Most of them start because their friends are using drugs and persuade them to try it. They experiment out of curiosity, but over time, they get hooked and can’t stop, influenced by those same friends who keep pulling them in,” he explained.

Ream commune police chief Sok Sina mentioned that after users test positive for drugs, reports are sent to the district police station and forwarded to the provincial police. From there, the victims are sent to the National Center for Voluntary and Community-Based Treatment and Rehabilitation for Drug Addicts (Keo Phos Rehabilitation Center) in Keo Phos commune of Preah Sihanouk’s Stung Hav district.

The police chief confirmed that there are no major drug dealers in the commune, and most cases involve users.

“We sometimes find just one small package of drugs with the victims,” he said.

Efforts to arrest drug dealers are complicated because users rarely provide accurate information about them. They often claim not to know who sold them the drugs, as most transactions occur at night, with the dealers usually concealing their identities by wearing helmets.

NACD initiatives

The National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD) recently estimated that the number of users in Cambodia, primarily youths, is between 30,000 and 40,000.

However, according to NACD data, only around 20,000 users are currently receiving treatment at health centres, provincial hospitals and national medical institutions. Treatment is also provided at 15 public, private and non-governmental rehabilitation centres. Many drug users have yet to receive treatment and continue to live with their families in the community.

In its efforts to combat drug use in Cambodia, the authority launched the NoDrug app in April to modernise and improve the efficiency of its operations.

Lim Tong Huot, director of the Education and Public Relations Department at NACD, stated that since its launch, the app has been downloaded and used by over 30,000 people.

He added that it has helped authorities receive and process over 435 reports on drug-related issues, with 198 cases resolved and 94 currently under investigation.

The authority has also developed a new initiative called the “White Village Policy”, which has been submitted to the Office of the Council of Ministers for review and official approval, according to NACD secretary-general Meas Virith.

However, Virith declined to provide further details about the policy, pending the government’s official approval for implementation.

“The policy has been finalised and submitted to the government. It will be rolled out nationwide across all 14,580 villages. The initiative aims to keep villages drug-free, contributing to the safe village and commune programmes. The policy includes a comprehensive action plan,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the Ream commune team continues its efforts to support the campaign against youth gangs and implement the safe village-commune policy.

“Most of the youth have stopped using drugs and are on the path to becoming responsible citizens. Since our outreach began, the commune has largely become free of addicts, as they now understand the law and its consequences. Those sent to the rehab centre will only be allowed to return once they are completely drug-free,” he said.