UN Drug Chief Urges Russia to Take Action

The UN's top drug control official called on Russia on Friday to take action to stem demand for drugs, especially heroin, within its borders and said he is concerned about the planned removal of Russian forces from the Afghan-Tajik border, where they are engaged in anti-drug trafficking operations.



Russia has one of the highest levels of opiate abuse in the world, at around 2.1 percent of those aged 15 to 64, or about 2 million people, according to a new United Nations World Drug Report presented in Moscow on Friday by the official, Antonio Maria Costa.



About 1 million of those use heroin, a figure four times as high as in the next biggest heroin markets in Europe, Britain and Italy, the report said. As many as 3 million to 4 million drug users live in Russia, it said.



"This report confirms the severity of the addiction problem, especially addiction to heroin," Costa said.



The UN report said the use of heroin appears to be falling worldwide. Abuse of cocaine is growing, though more slowly than in previous years, and the use of cannabis is also becoming more widespread.
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The Moscow Times