ANTI DRUG DAY:

Drug Addiction Reaches Huge Proportions As Government Cuts Funding
for Treatment

NGOs believe that there could be as many as 240 000 drug addicts in
the country, over 5 percent of the population. The government, having
announced a 'zero tolerance' strategy and then retreated a little
after realizing what counter-productive effects this measure might
have, are still spending virtually nothing on drug treatment. It is
with this dire situation in mind that a conference on the painful
results of drug addiction was held by the South Caucasus Anti Drug
Program (SCAD) on Monday as part of the International Day against Drug
Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

In 1987 the UN General Assembly named June 26 as the International Day
against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking as an expression of its
determination to strengthen cooperation in the fight against drugs.

Every year a special topic for the day is chosen and conferences and
seminars are held dedicated to these issues. The United Nations Office
on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has selected 'drugs are not child's play'
as the theme of its 2006 international campaign, in an effort to
increase public awareness about the destructive power of drugs, and
public responsibility to care for the well-being of children.

"Parents and teachers should provide information on the health risk
linked to drug abuse and should discuss the issue, especially the
danger associated with a drug addiction, openly with their children.
At the same time teachers and organizations should also contribute to
children's safety," Jana Javakhishvili, chair of the SCAD information
project told The Messenger.

Attending the conference were various local NGOs, representatives of
the UNDP and European Commission, the Deputy Minister of Labor, Health
and Social Affairs, Nikoloz Pruidze, and the chairman of Parliamentary
Healthcare and Social Issues Committee, Gigi Tsereteli.

"We should dedicate each day to the problem of drug abuse because it
is a dilemma not only for Georgia, but for the whole world. Today we,
together with donor organizations, the EU and UNDP, discussed the
current situation that exists in Georgia," Tsereteli said after the
conference.

"SCAD's program has been functioning since 2001. We are supporting the
local and central government and appropriate ministries to implement
preventive measures to eradicate the problem of drug addiction,"
Javakhishvili told the Messenger

The SCAD program, which is funded by the European Union and
implemented by the UNDP, has technically equipped and given
methodological education to the narcotics branch of the Ministry of
Internal Affairs, the customs office and border guard services. They
have already published two national and one South Caucasus regional
drug abuse reports.

At the conference it was mentioned that younger and younger people are
becoming drug users. Teenagers have begun using marihuana and other
more serious and addictive drugs. At the same time the number of girls
who are using drugs has been dramatically increasing in Georgia.

In an interview with The Messenger Javakhishvili told us that drug
abuse is one of the most serious problems for Georgia. Officially
there are 24 000 registered drug addicts in the country but the real
number is much more, reaching about 240 000-over 5 percent of the
population. She said that they are not able to name the precise number
because there is no database in the country.

"Unfortunately the number of drug addicts has dramatically risen, but
no new preventative measures have been implemented to alleviate the
problem," Javakhishvili told us.

She underlines that if the government does not finance preventative
measure and health treatment for drug addicts properly then the
problem will only get worse.

According to Javakhishvili, at present the government allots GEL 50
000 for drug treatment, three times less than in 2005, though a
working group has been set up by the ministry, which has elaborated a
'national anti-drugs strategy'and increased funds for treatment have
been promised.

Javakhishvili warns, however, that "In reality neither preventative
strategies, nor policies, nor treatment programmes exist in the country".