DRUG ADDICTION RUSSIA'S MAIN ENEMY SAY SPECIALISTS.

BELOKURIKHA, Altai Territory, May 25 (Itar-Tass) - Participants in the All-
Russian Conference of chief drug specialists of the Russian Federation's
public health organizations drew the following conclusion: "Drug addiction
is the main enemy of Russia". The conference started its deliberations on
Tuesday in the Altai resort city of Belokurikha, situated in southwestern
Siberia.

The chairman of the State Duma Public Health Committee, Nikolai
Gerasimenko, who is also a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of
Medical Sciences, told Itar-Tass: "We gathered here due to the fact that
the expanding scale of drug addiction, toxic cases, and alcoholism in
Russia puts into jeopardy the future of rising generations and the destiny
of the country as a whole."

Drug barons, apart from ruining Russians, are responsible for the deaths of
thousands of people, he stressed. Statistics show that up to 80,000 young
people under 30 annually die due to this reason, although in real fact "the
harvest" of deaths from drugs is much higher.

Deputy head of the Altai Territory administration Yakov Shoikhet, Dr.Sci.
(Medicine), noted that the most worrisome situation with drug addiction has
developed in Siberia which is flooded with drugs, including hard ones, from
the Central Asian countries, coming through Kazakhstan.

The geographic position of Altai -- it has 850 kilometres of common border
with Kazakhstan -- and the presence of the diversified network of highways
and railways, enable drug dealers to supply narcotics to Siberia, and then
throughout Russia, virtually without any hindrance.

The situation in Siberia is aggravated by migration processes, caused by
the deteriorating political situation in Central Asia. Altai alone
registered 44,000 refugees and settlers, some of whom are also responsible
for drug supplies.

Unfavourable ecological and demographic factors brought the Altai Territory
to fourth place among the 89 Russian regions in the number of drug addicts
and second place in the number of drug and toxic cases among children and
teenagers.

According to Shoikhet, it was the unfavourable drug situation in Siberia
that determined Altai as the venue for the working conference of
all-Russian drug specialists.

Conference participants will share work experiences and exchange new
development studies in preventive activities, treatment, and rehabilitation
of drug and alcohol addicts. During the four days of its work, conference
participants intend to discuss pressing issues of organisation and the
prospects and directions of further development of the Russian drug and
alcohol prevention service. Discussion will also center on its cooperation
with other bodies and departments interested in control over alcoholism and
drug addiction, as well as in prevention of illegal trafficking of drugs.
There will also be discussions on proposals for changing and improving
legislation in this important field of work for the country.