On June 19, 2009, Vietnam National Assembly has approved the amendment of the Penal Code, which among other things (e.g. limit the death sentencing)�removes of�Penal Code's article 199 which made unsuccessfully detoxified drug users criminals.

��The Penal Code's article 199 "Crime�of illegal use of�narcotic substance"�read: "1. A person, who uses illegally narcotic�substance in any form,�has been educated many times and has administratively been�punished by sending to mandatory treatment institution but continues to use illegally narcotic substance will be imprisoned from 3 months to 2 years. 2. Those who�repeat of this offense will be imprisoned from 2 years to 5 years".���

The government's proposal to the National Assembly presented 3 justifications for the decriminalization of drug use: 1) the Drug Law Amendment (2008) considers drug�addicts as patients, as victim of drug other than criminals; 2) it is awkward to see drug�addicts who fail mandatory drug treatment as criminals, at the same time it is more humane to consider drug users as patients�or victim; and 3) the 3 international�conventions on drug, to which Vietnam�is a signatory, do not required the signatory states to criminalize drug use.

The evaluation report by the�National Assembly's Legislation Commission�supported the government's�proposal, citing�Drug Law Amendment, which considers drug addicts�as patients, and does not impose criminal�sentencing to drug�addicts. The Commission also considered that the�illegal use of drug is not so dangerous to the society that�criminal conviction is needed.��