GOVT COMMISSION DENIES CLAIMS ON WIDE-SPREAD USE OF NARCOTICS

( Editorial: --> 8122 ) ZAGREB, July 16 (Hina) - The Croatian Government Commission for Drug Abuse Prevention on Thursday rejected claims by several dailies that the drug abuse trend in Croatia is very unfavourable. Preliminary results of a study conducted in cooperation with the "Ivo Pilar" Institute for Social Studies "do not even remotely point to 'a very unfavourable trend'". "It is questionable which scientific studies yielded the information that over 50% of secondary school students have tried marijuana or that the ratio of medically treated and unregistered addicts is 1:10. If that were really true, the situation in Croatia could be assessed as more than alarming," the Commission said. The Commission then refers to a study conducted three years ago showing that the presence of drugs among young people in Croatia is "below the European average." The Commission also presents one of the best indicators - the annual death rate - and compares it with Norway, which has approximately the same population. In 1997, there were 44 drug-related deaths (in Zagreb 19) whereas Norway had 160 drug victims (Oslo over 100). (hina) rml 162157 MET jul 98