Opium use among rich and elderly in Vietnam

Opium use in Vietnam is an indulgence of the rich and elderly, reports Agence France Presse. Younger Vietnamese prefer ecstasy, heroin, amphetamines and other synthetic drugs. It said that although Vietnam has some of the world's toughest drug laws , its anti-drug campaigns have "made little dent" on the open sale of opium in Hanoi's streets. The destruction of poppy crops in northwestern Vietnam has forced addicts to become dependent on foreign sources, more than 90% of opium and other drugs coming into Vietnam through the Golden Triangle of Laos, Burma and Thailand. (Agence France Presse, Feb. 11).