Drug Addictions Become Younger in the World and Azerbaijan

The conference "Global approach to a healthy life without drugs" was held on Wednesday at the Park Inn along with the visit of Plato Nozadze, a UN Office expert on Drugs and Combating Crime (UNODC) to Azerbaijan. He is preparing the annual report on the drug situation in Azerbaijan, presented at the event.  Information on the portal of drugs was also presented. 

   Since 2011 the growth of illicit drug production and the number of drug addicts has been observed.  A UN report currently states there are about 250 million addicts in the world. 

    According to official statistics, over the past five years in Azerbaijan, the age of drug addicts has decreased from 30 years old to 17 years old.  In southern regions of the country 14-15 year-olds use drugs, said the head of the Public Association "Propaganda against Drugs", Mazahir Efendiyev.

   According to him, the total number of drug addicts in the country, for 2011, amounted to 26,717 persons. Over 60% of the drug addicts are young people. 

   In 2011, law enforcement agencies confiscated one ton, 549 kg of various drugs in 2921 cases. With 5785 people convicted, and 3289 sent for compulsory treatment.

   As for the drug routes, one of the most dangerous places is through Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenians.   According to operational information, in Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas, there are dozens of drug labs. From there drugs are transported to Russia, said Efendiyev.

    The report of the UN Office on Drugs introduced Plato Nozadze. According to him, the number  of people using heroin and opium is increasing. Over the past 10 years, drug production in Afghanistan increased by several times. Thus, the area sown by drug in 2011 totaled 238,000 hectares.  Afghan drugs go through Azerbaijan to Russia and Europe; 18% of drugs go from Afghanistan to Europe, and 15% to Russia. Routes through Azerbaijan change from year to year. Previously routes were Iran -Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan-Russia, Azerbaijan-Georgia-Europe, and now  the route is Afghanistan-Central Asia-Caspian Sea-Azerbaijan and also Georgia and Europe is used,  said Nozadze.

   Afghanistan receives $ 2.4 billion a year, from the sale of drugs.  There are up to 500 drug laboratories in this country. 

  Ninety tons of heroine  go through Central Asia; up to 85% of heroin go through Tajikistan.

    Seventy five per cent of drugs are transported in trucks, and 20% on trains, the rest by plane. Two per cent of drugs confiscated in Russia comes through the Azerbaijani border. -03C04-