13:28, 8 June 2005

Drug abuse smites North Ossetia

Growing numbers of drug users cause serious concerns of North Ossetian law enforcement agencies, says Regnum news agency.

According to the Republican Drug Clinic, the number of drug users registered with it was 2,562 as of 1 January 2005. Around 35 per cent of them are young people aged 30.

However, the official statistics are not in keeping with the actual situation, North Ossetian Prosecutor Alexander Bigulov said at a press conference. The number of persons using various drugs is about 40,000, according to expert information. For a small republic, this figures causes concerns, the prosecutor remarked. He said there was a need to more effectively combat the spread of drug abuse in the republic. In connection with this, Bigulov called on police officers and the North Ossetian Department of the Federal Service on Drug Control to use all available means to fight this evil.

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