Drug Abuse in the Global Village

Drug Abuse in Eastern Europe

                     PRIMARY PREVENTION

BELARUS
The NHP aims to promote a healthy lifestyle. It includes prevention programmes aiming to reduce alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse among youth and children in primary and secondary schools. Some of the programmes assign prevention duties to parents and sponsor the distribution of posters, films and slides to promote a healthy way of life (CMO 1990).

     Drug prevention education is part of the national curricula of secondary and technical schools as well as higher education institutions. Basic training on drug education is provided to teachers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, other health workers, and law enforcement personnel, but not to social workers (U.N. 1992).

     AIDS prevention. There is no free distribution of needles and syringes and drug addicts are reported to share syringes and use disposable ones (U.N. 1992).

BULGARIA
Preventive education in schools is organized by the Ministry of Education and the Medical Academy and is part of the curriculum of school aged children.

     Some drug prevention information, targeting the general public, is diffused through radio and television. Other drug prevention information rests with institutions responsible for drug control, law enforcement, treatment and rehabilitation.

     Special drug prevention training is available to medical doctors and staff of specialized clinics.

     AIDS/HIV infection prevention.  Because of the small number of cases, no specific measures have been taken with respect to AIDS prevention, except for close monitoring of the situation. Single use needles and syringes is under discussion (Bulgaria 1991).

CROATIA
Prevention through education has been carried out in primary and secondary schools since 1978 and in higher education since 1980. Special training is provided to school staff (U.N. 1992).

     Basic training courses, and, if necessary further training, are provided for primary health care workers, doctors, nurses, social workers and psychologists. No programmes for prevention of drug abuse in the work place are reported (U.N. 1992).

     Voluntary organizations, religious groups, parents teacher associations and addicts self-help groups are involved in preventive activities. A media campaigns involving television, radio and newspapers was launched in 1992 (U.N. 1992).

CZECHOSLOVAKIA
Drug preventive education is part of the national curricula of primary and secondary schools but they are considered in need of extensive development and more continuity (U.N. 1990). Some television and radio programmes broadcast drug preventive messages. Articles are published in the press and films targeted at young people have been produced (CMO 1990).

HUNGARY
A pilot study on health education, which also included drug prevention was carried out in 1991 (Hungary 1991).

AIDS prevention: Hungary is active in the field of AIDS prevention. Medical students are trained on drug related matters and then inform youth on drug related risks. Needle and syringes are available at low cost without medical prescriptions in pharmacies (Hungary 1991)

LATVIA
Preventive activities and drug education are not part of the school curricula, but optional preventive programmes have been introduced in 40 elementary schools (U.N. 1992).

     Media campaigns targeted at youth and school children are carried out each year through television and radio. Activities are organized for young people and children to provide alternatives to drug use. Religious groups and self-help groups are involved in the formulation and implementation of prevention programmes. Doctors, nurses, teachers and law enforcement personnel receive drug education as part of their training (U.N. 1992).

POLAND
Education programmes for teachers and parents at primary and secondary school levels are organized by the Ministry of Education, Society and Drug Abuse Prevention and by voluntary organizations (U.N. 1990). Continuous education courses are organized for physicians and non-medical staff employed in therapeutic and rehabilitation institutes (CMO 1991).

     Mass media campaigns targeted at adults have been launched. Publications on drug abuse preventive measures for the medical profession and the general public have been distributed. These include information relating to prevention of the spread of HIV infection among drug abusers (U.N. 1990).

     A needle and syringe exchange scheme is in operation and syringes are readily available in pharmacies. Drug abusers have taken up their own harm reduction behaviours such as boiling fluid opiates, informing other drug abusers of their HIV status and not accepting new addicts in existing groups (CMO 1991).

ROMANIA
Medical and law enforcement personnel receive basic training (U.N. 1992).

RUSSIA
Health education programmes concerning a number of narcotics, are targeted at particular risk groups. Preventive materials are published along with popular science brochures (U.N. 1992).

     The new National Drug Control Policy is planning for the training of teachers, medical professionals, social workers and law enforcement officers in drug abuse prevention and the preparation of educational anti-drug programmes aimed at the general population is planned (Policy 1993).

SLOVENIA
No information reported by 31st December 1993.

UKRAINE
Secondary school students are given drug prevention education as part of the general science courses. Audio-visual material are also available to this target group (CMO 1990).

     Basic and further training in drug prevention are provided to health professionals, social workers, teachers and law enforcement personnel. Drug prevention activities have also been targeted at youth and parents (CMO 1990).