Mazahir Efendiyev: "Problem of drug addiction in Azerbaijan is growing "younger", already affecting schools"

- The world has marked international day of combat with drugs this week. What about the problem of drug addiction in Azerbaijan?

- If we estimate the situation in Azerbaijan by a five point scale, I would give a firm three. The thing is that the tendency, observed in our country, evidences the rise in the number of drug users. The overall rise is observed in the volumes of drugs, imported to the country and there are problems, connected not only with consumption, but also epidemics, resulting in AIDS-infection.

According to the statistics, presently Azerbaijan records 1,520 cases of infection with AIDS virus. 60% of the infected are the intravenous users of drugs. It naturally raises concerns. I would underline that this is official statistics, which does not always reflect the reality too objectively. The situation is more frustrating in line with unofficial data.

- Is everything really so bad?

- If we compare the situation in Azerbaijan with the situation in the CIS countries, especially neighbor countries of the South Caucasus region, the situation here is not so tragic.

- At the same time, the post-Soviet countries face a serious problem which the countries of the West have faced too long before. This is a juvenile drug addition. How about our schools?

- I admit that we also have such a problem. Here again I want to refer to official statistics. If previously the age of drug users started from 25, in 2005 this age indicator declined to 18, which evidences that the problem is growing "younger" in Azerbaijan. Naturally, this is also official data.

Cases, when pupils have not started using drugs, but have serious addiction to tobacco and display great interests in drugs have become frequent in our schools. Here, the main problem is the absence of sufficient information about the problem and risks it carries. There is no special methods to avert such negative events at schools, to inform the pupils about not only the harm of drugs but on the whole about the problem and its possible consequences.

- Unfortunately, we observe separate cases, which have directly affected schools and there is a certain level of teenagers, who have started to display interest in drugs and who already use them, though they can not be called drug addicts.

- By the way, you have previously also complained that prophylactic works held in this sphere are not enough. Isn't there any progress in the resolution of this problem?

- Today, the Azerbaijani government, particularly, due state structures, particularly, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Youth and Sports as well as some NGOs, take measures to fill this vacuum.

Unfortunately, researches, we held, show that there are no positive results in the resolution of this problem. Unfortunately, this problem tends to grow, people come to display greater interest in the use of drugs. I think presently we should focus on the sphere of enlightenment and propaganda. For this purpose, we have recently put forward an initiative to attract representatives of mass media to the resolution of the problem.

Today, greater part of youth and community often watches different TV programs, reads press. Using this fact, we want to inform the community, particularly, the youth about the seriousness of the problem of drug addiction via mass media.

As the problem of drug addiction concerns the community greatly and has a serious impact on the genofond of the people and it is necessary to use all methods to settle it. One of such directions, to which we intend to pay serious attention this year, is a use of mass media's potential.

/Day.Az/