National anti-drugs week held in Moldova

Chisinau, 9 November /MOLDPRES/ - Over 50 people from Moldova yearly die because of consumption of drugs. Data to this effect was presented at the launch of a national anti-drugs campaign, Choose the Life!, today.  

At a news conference, Head of the General Police Inspectorate Alexandru Panzari presented a social spot which shows the fatal consequences of the consumption of drugs. “The campaign’s goal is to raise the society’s awareness about the consumption of new-type drugs. Teenagers aged 14, 15 and 16 years are in the risk groups. In Moldova, the most consumed type of drug is the cannabis; yet, in the last three years, the consumption of new-type drugs – ethno-botanical ones, has extended. Thus, their use increased from 1 per cent in 2016 to 13 per cent in 2018. At the same time, while two kg of ethnobotanical drugs was raised in 2017, this year, their number grew to five kg,” Panzari said.

For his part, the state secretary at the Interior Ministry, Dorin Purice, stressed that the anti-drugs spot would be aired by TV stations at peak hours, as well as in movie theatres before films’ presentations.   

„The consumption of drugs has serious consequences. The narcotic substances do not represent only the problem of consumers, but of the entire society. Together, we have committed to prevent the consumption and trafficking of drugs, as we want to find viable solutions to this problem. Unfortunately, there is not an accurate figure which shows the exact number of consumers from Moldova; therefore, we can make only approximate assessments. In continuation, we are set to reduce the demand and supply of drugs on the domestic market, reduce the risks of the consumption of drugs, overdosage and diseases which can be triggered by the consumption of narcotic substances,” Dorin Purice noted.    

Findings show that, in most cases, the drug addicts have deficit of communication, abandoned their families, make abuse of alcohol, have psychic disorder and psychological traumas.  

„The prevention of the consumption of narcotic substances is foremost. Presently, there are more services available for drugs addicts, I mean the centres friendly for young people and services of psychic and social rehabilitation. Data shows that about 300 persons annually benefit from rehabilitation programmes. At the same time, about 36 per cent of the consumers use injectable drugs and 59 per cent use inhaled drugs or ethnobotanical ones. Most consumers are older than 30 years and the rate of those with ages of about 16 years is lower than one per cent,” the state secretary at the Health, Labour and Social Protection Ministry, Boris Galca, said.   

Specialists’ conclusions show that a single consumption of drugs can lead to addiction. The substances influence the nervous system and trigger aggressiveness, psychoses and hallucinations. The new drugs are those in the case of which the laboratory test cannot find out the consumption. Their quick spread takes place because of the accessibility and new ways of sale.  

Official data shows that, in Moldova, there are about 12,000 drug addicts; yet, their true number might be ten-fold larger. At the same time, official figures shows that there are about 80,000 people who consumed narcotic substances at least once in Moldova.  

The national anti-drugs campaign, Choose the Life!, will last half a year and is carried out with the financial support of UNICEF Moldova and from sources of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.  

(Reporter A. Ciobanu, editor A. Raileanu)