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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Strategies for combating addictive disorders on drawing board

Belgrade, 25 January 2006

The Serbian Ministry of Health advisor Djordje Stojiljkovic said today that the national strategies for preventing drug abuse, alcohol addiction and smoking have entered the final stage and that they should be adopted by the government in the next six months.

Speaking at a press conference, Stojiljkovic said that the committees made up of experts in the field will be formed on the basis of the strategies. He explained that the strategies include assessment of the situation in the country concerning abuse of psychoactive substances, as well as concrete measures for prevention and education of citizens and assistance in treatment of addictive disorders.

These strategies are the result of the project themed "Prevention of drug abuse in Serbia", financed by the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR).

Head of the EAR health project Mathias Reinke said that the European Union finances this project because drug abuse is a growing problem in both EU and Serbia, particularly among young people.

According to Stojiljkovic, this problem can only be solved if all members of the society take an active part in combating it.

Jean-Michel Manzoni, head of the project "Mission and activities of the European Cities Against Drugs (ECAD)", said that national strategies for combating substance abuse exist in 21 out of 25 EU member states.

Spomenka Ciric, an expert involved in the project, recalled the results of a survey conducted in three cities in Serbia – Belgrade, Nis and Novi Sad, in October 2005, which revealed that 2 out of 10 sixteen-year-olds have taken illegal drugs, almost all of them have tried alcohol, and 3 out of 10 smoke.

She pointed out that the most alarming information in the survey, compared to the data collected in 2001, is a dramatic increase in sedative abuse in schools.

Member of the Belgrade City Council Vladan Subarevic said that the last survey on the territory of Belgrade was conducted in 2003 and that the results showed that more than 20% of school children used psychoactive substances.

To mark the project that is being realised by the EAR and the Serbian Ministry of Health, a conference was held in Belgrade today, which gathered representatives of cities and municipalities in Serbia and various experts.