GOVERNMENT STEPS UP MEASURES TO TACKLE GROWING DRUGS PROBLEM

Health Minister Dina Akkelidou said yesterday a strategic plan approved by
the plenum would help combat the growing drug problem on the island by
collecting data and working closely with the EU.

According to police statistics, the number of drug related cases increased
from 252 in 1999 to 475 in 2003, and a drug rehabilitation centre yesterday
revealed the number of people seeking rehab had increased in the last
couple of years, with people trying drugs as early as 11 years old.

"The strategy and two plans of actions aim to reduce demand and supply, and
to set up and operate a National Drugs Database (NDD), something that was
already put in operation in March," Akkelidou said.

The strategy and plan of action were prepared as drafts in June 2003, and,
after signing an agreement with the EU, experts visited the island to
discuss ways of combating drug use with the Drugs Council.

"The NDD is a computerised centre that has already begun documenting valid
data based on practices used in Europe on the issue of drug use and other
related problems stemming from addiction," Akkelidou said.

"All the information will be used to evaluate the drugs problem on the
island and the measures taken to combat the problem, and will help us be a
part of the EU network based in Portugal."

Drugs Council Executive Secretary Tonia Payiata told the Cyprus Mail
yesterday the NDD had been put in operation in March and would be used to
collect and monitor data on five indicators.

"The indicators are mortality, research in the general population, research
in the education sector, use of drugs in schools, treatment and demand, and
after evaluating the data, the centre will be able to show the trends," she
said.

"When we know the trends we will then be able to form a policy on the
problem, whether the problem lies in teenagers, and act accordingly."