CPU to strive for increased funding of fight against drug addiction, alcoholism in Ukraine
Kyiv, September 27 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Communist Party of Ukraine (CPU) will strive for the adoption of complex programs for fighting against drug addiction and alcoholism, Doctor of Medicine, Professor, Honored Doctor of Ukraine, parliamentary candidate No. 5 on the party list of the Communist Party of Ukraine Iryna Spirina has said.
"The European community and international organizations for fighting against drugs today rank Ukraine first in terms of the use of drugs," Spirina said at a press conference hosted by Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday.
She also said that, according to the Medical Statistics Center of the Health Ministry of Ukraine, 5,600 people in Ukraine for the first time were diagnosed with drug addiction as of January 1, 2012. In general there are 77,100 drug addicts in the country, and in addition, 37,570 people are under preventive observation and use drugs from time to time.
Spirina said the real situation with the problem differs from the official information. Experts say that around 1.5 million people use drugs in Ukraine.
According to her, the public also does not know the real death rate from drug addiction. According to official reports, 162 cases of deaths from drugs were registered in 2009, and 166 in 2010. However, experts estimate the death rate from drug addiction by over 10,000 people per year.
Experts also say that Ukraine is fifth in the world in terms of alcoholism, she added.
Spirina stressed that despite the critical situation in Ukraine, the number of drug users in the country is reducing and this refers especially to teenagers. The system of treatment and prevention of alcoholism and drug addiction, which existed in the Soviet Union, has practically been destroyed, according to Spirina.
She added that treatment of drug addicts and alcoholics requires long time and the isolation of patients. She said the medical-labor centers operating in the Soviet Union are closed in Ukraine today.
Spirina also said that funding should be increased for this purpose. The CPU will insist on spending up to 10% of GDP on the healthcare system, she added.