TBILISI MARKS INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST DRUG USE

To mark the UN International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit
Trafficking, government officials rounded up and destroyed thousands
of used needles found on the streets of Tbilisi on June 26.

The Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs and the Young
Doctors Association held the anti-drug action with the slogan "Health
is in fashion".

Participants of the action collected over 5000 used syringes lying in
hospital yards, entranceways to buildings, squares and streets of
Tbilisi. Deputy Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs Davit
Meskhishvili destroyed the needles with an asphalt roller on June 26.

"This day is against drugs, so we are expressing our feelings about
this problem in this way. Maybe it is a bit extreme, but society
should understand that to be a drug addict is very shameful," stated
Meskhishvili.

Meskhishvili said the ministry is implementing a special program for
recovering drug addicts, calling upon all anti-drug organizations to
carry out joint preventive measures against the problem.

On June 26, the Institute of Narcology and NGOs held a seminar at the
hotel Sheraton Metekhi where they discussed the new law prepared by
the initiative group of the Health Ministry.

According to the new law, a person addicted to drugs should be
recognized not as a criminal, but as an ill person in need of medical
treatment. Drug users will only have to pay a fee and the money paid
by them will go towards treatment of other drug addicts. Currently, a
version of the bill is being considered in parliament.

According to Deputy Director of the Centre for Disease and Public
Health in the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs and head
of the program Methadone Akaki Gamkrelidze, in 2007 the government
plans to spend GEL 650 000 for the prevention and struggle against
drug addiction out of which GEL 250 000 will be spent on the
treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts. But he is concerned
this isn't enough considering the size of the problem in Georgia.

"Drug addiction is a very serious problem in Georgia. There are many
drug users. 35 000 users and drug addicts have been registered in
Georgia. But we suggest that from 250 000 to 300 000 young people use
drugs," Gamkrelidze noted.

Some famous public figures attended a solidarity action at the cafe
Tan Tzaighe (Take It with You) on June 25. Movie actors, directors,
athletes and the anti-drug fund of the Patriarchate as well as other
public figures participated in the event.

Clips from a new documentary Without Comments were shown to stimulate
discussion about the problem of drug addiction in Georgia. This film
which will premier in the fall in Tbilisi, tells a story dealing with
the serious issues of drug addiction, drug dealers and young drug users.

"Today me and my friends decided to get together and give those
struggling with drug addiction motivation to live a healthy
lifestyle," said owner of the cafe, and Georgian TV personality Duta
Skhirtladze.

Giorgi Arsanidze, Olympic champion, attended the event saying
nowadays many young people are becoming addicted to drugs, which is a
real catastrophe.

"I see a lot of people of my generation using drugs and becoming
addicted . I think that especially our religion will help these
people a lot, which says that this is shameful and a sin," stated Arsanidze.

Another film dealing with the theme of drug addiction called
Subordination premiered at the Amirani Theater in Tbilisi on June 21.
The name of the film is a play on the name of the drug of choice in
Georgia-Subutex.