ZAGREB, Feb 17 (Hina) - Croatia has between 10,000 and 12,000 drug addicts. The growth in numbers of heroin addicts is especially concerning. Only last year about 1,200 new heroin addicts were registered, and several hundred addicts
to other drugs. The report on implementing the programme of national strategy of fighting the abuse of drugs last year does not give a pretty picture about the success in fighting this evil which mostly preys on younger generations, chairman of the Government Commission for preventing drug abuse, Slavko Sakoman, said at the Croatian National Parliament House of Representatives session on Wednesday. According to Sakoman, there were about 120 new drug addicts were in the treatment system in 1990, while last year there were about 1,200. They are 22 years-old in average, and are male in 75 per cent of the cases. The Government seems not to have taken seriously the National Strateg
ZAGREB, Feb 17 (Hina) - Croatia has between 10,000 and 12,000 drug
addicts. The growth in numbers of heroin addicts is especially
concerning. Only last year about 1,200 new heroin addicts were
registered, and several hundred addicts to other drugs.
The report on implementing the programme of national strategy of
fighting the abuse of drugs last year does not give a pretty picture
about the success in fighting this evil which mostly preys on
younger generations, chairman of the Government Commission for
preventing drug abuse, Slavko Sakoman, said at the Croatian
National Parliament House of Representatives session on
Wednesday.
According to Sakoman, there were about 120 new drug addicts were in
the treatment system in 1990, while last year there were about
1,200. They are 22 years-old in average, and are male in 75 per cent
of the cases.
The Government seems not to have taken seriously the National
Strategy for fighting drug abuse, MPs assessed several times during
the discussion.
They expressed discontent that less budgetary resources have been
spent for fighting drug abuse this year in comparison to the last.
According to estimates, 365 to 400 kg of heroin is used annually in
Croatia. The world confiscation rate is about ten per cent,
Assistant Interior Minister Zeljko Sacic said.
The Interior Ministry confiscated 50kg of heroin, six kilos of
cocaine, more than 9,100 ecstasy tablets and more then 20 tonnes of
marijuana last year.
MPs described preventive measures as weak, warning basic issues had
not been solved: a networks of centres for preventing and treating
addiction have not been established, cooperation among schools,
hospitals, police and courts has not been developed, and education
programmes on television are insufficient.
MPs requested that Parliament be sent a bill on preventing the
illegal use of narcotics as soon as possible.
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