25 Years of fight against drug abuse

The Republic of Moldova, along with other countries, celebrates today, June 26, the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. UN’s General Assembly chose this date in 1987, in order to free societies from illegal drug trade. Head of the Republican Narcological Dispensary Mihai Oprea stated for Info-Prim Neo that in Moldova there are over 9000 registered users of narcotics and psychoactive drugs. These individuals are mainly from urban areas, the bulk of them being from Chisinau and Balti. In the capital alone, there are over 6000 addicts. “Underage drug consumption has decreased, and there are no registered cases involving kids under 15. Even the number of teenagers of up to 18, who use drugs, has fallen to 100”, stated Mihai Oprea. According to him, these changes are the results of actions taken by the Government, the programs of combat against drug use, as well as the National Anti-Drug Strategy, which passed in 2011. People who are addicted may benefit from free medical aid, offered by the National Health Insurance Company, based on their mandatory health insurance plan. In cases when the patient comes from a vulnerable family, a special state project will cover their expenses. There are around 250 drug users among prison inmates. The data is, however, inexact. Inmates benefit from the same kind of therapy as in specialized institutions. In the previous years, the number of drug consumers in Moldova was about 8000. On a global scale, around 210 million people consume drugs annually, out of which over 200.000