ZAGREB, June 20 (Hina) - Over the past 10 years, the number of drug addicts in Croatia increased from 4,000 to 13,000, head of the Croatian Government Commission for the prevention of drug abuse Slavko Sakoman said Tuesday. Informing
the Croatian National Sabor's House of Representatives of the implementation of the national strategy for the prevention of drug abuse in Croatia, Sakoman stressed the number of heavy heroin addicts in 1999 amounted to 1,500, mostly young people. This is a disastrous piece of information and Croatia lost these people. They are "socially dead", Sakoman said, and added that the majority of them were now engaged in street dealing which contributed to the accelerated spreading of addiction of the youth and crimes. The selection of drugs on street has not been decreased. According to Sakoman, the reason for that is the absence of the prevention of drug abuse on the list of national and
ZAGREB, June 20 (Hina) - Over the past 10 years, the number of drug
addicts in Croatia increased from 4,000 to 13,000, head of the
Croatian Government Commission for the prevention of drug abuse
Slavko Sakoman said Tuesday.
Informing the Croatian National Sabor's House of Representatives
of the implementation of the national strategy for the prevention
of drug abuse in Croatia, Sakoman stressed the number of heavy
heroin addicts in 1999 amounted to 1,500, mostly young people. This
is a disastrous piece of information and Croatia lost these
people.
They are "socially dead", Sakoman said, and added that the majority
of them were now engaged in street dealing which contributed to the
accelerated spreading of addiction of the youth and crimes.
The selection of drugs on street has not been decreased. According
to Sakoman, the reason for that is the absence of the prevention of
drug abuse on the list of national and political priorities. The
problem cannot be solved without the support of the state
leadership, and the engagement of all state institutions.
The programme aims at the decrease of the number of addicts within
the next two to three years to about 700. He said however, this would
be possible only if necessary laws were passed.
The majority of representatives supported the programme during the
discussion. They demanded more funds from the state budget, the
urgent passing of necessary laws, the organisation of centres
treatments, media campaigns against drug abuse and funds for school
preventive measures.
At the beginning of today's session, the lower house paid tribute to
Stjepan and Antun Radic and other Croatian representatives who were
assassinated on June 20, 1928 in the Assembly in Belgrade.
(hina) it jn