DRUG SITUATION OF THE REPUBLIC
OF TAJIKISTAN IN 2002
Background of the country
The Republic of Tajikistan is located at the Southeast of Central Asia and covers the territory of 143000 square kilometers. It borders with Uzbekistan at North and West, Kyrgyzstan at Northeast, China at Southeast and Afghanistan at South. The length of Tajikistan’s border jointly with Islamic State of Afghanistan is 1344,15 km or the third part of length of all borders of the Republic of Tajikistan.
According to official data, as of 2002, the country’s population was 6 375 500 people.
From total population, children before 14 years old constitute 42,7%, while persons over 50 years, constitute 9% only.
Dushanbe and Khurdjand are the largest cities of the Republic of Tajikistan. Dushanbe is the capital of the country, where 31,2% of urban population of the country lives. Khudjand is an administrative center of Sogdiana province, where 9,3% of urban population lives.
Kurgantyube city is an administrative center of Khatlon province, while Khorog is a center of Gorno-Badakhshan autonomy province. The populations of these cities are 60 and 28 thousand people, accordingly.
People of different nations inhabit in the country: 65% -tajik, 32% - uzbek and 3% - people of other nationalities.
DRUG CONSUMPTION AND MARKET
Heroin, opium and cannabis are available in the illegal market of drugs. Psychopharmarceutical such as benzodiazepins and barbiturates are presented in the market at any rate. Within the last years, no cases of other substances such as (cocaine, amphetamine and etc.) have been revealed in the country. Heroin prevails in the drugs market. However, if, starting from 1996 to 2002 its price reduced constantly and quality improved, a sharp change in supply of all types of drugs, especially heroin: increase of prices, reduction of quality and decrease of accessibility, was noticed from the end of 2000 and beginning of 2001. Within 2002, the prices and accessibility of drugs have not undergone significant changes, but in comparison with 2000, the prices were higher and accessibility was less. The latter is due to reduction of the number of dealers, as well as the dealers have become to act more carefully.
The prices and drugs significantly differ depending on region and quality of drugs as well.
Non-medical consumption of heroin, opium and cannabis takes place in the country. Consumers of opiates use other substances presented at the illegal market as subsidiary and additional facilities. Consumption of cannabis is disseminated rather enough, but keeping in view not much attention of the narcologists and law enforcement bodies to this contingent of drug addicts, their officially registered number is less than opiates consumers.
DRUG ADDICTION PROBLEMS
Drug addiction dissemination – Health Ministry data
Drugs remain accessible for consumers despite the measures being taken in the Republic of Tajikistan. The number of people registered in the clinics with drug addiction diagnoses is increasing and mostly, they are young people. As of 2001, the narcological clinics registered 5678 people using drugs, but at the beginning of 2003, the drug users number were 8813, out of which 6840 people suffered from narcotic dependence. It is worth underscoring here that 4173 people out of them or 61% constitutes the people before 30 years, and 319 people or 4,7% constitute women.
Correlation of drug addiction through the country is given below:
- Dushanbe - 21%
- Sogdiana province – 10%
- Khatlon province - 10%
- Gorno-Badakhshan autonomy province –8%
- Subordinate to state – 51%
2334 or 34% out of registered drug-addicts apply the drugs by dangerous injection method. According to data received from Republican Center on prophylactics and combat HIV/AIDS, as of beginning 2003, the number of HIV infected people registered in the country is 75, and number of AIDS infected people is 1, out of which 51 people or 67% use the drugs by injection method.
Drugs overuse scopes assessment
Research conducted by the Agency on drug control within the framework of international project on the assessment of the situation on drug utilization in Central Asia revealed, that the number of drug addicts was between 45 to 55 thousands people in 2000-2001 and out of which 80% used heroin and 15% was women.
82% of the polled drug addicts used heroin. 52% of drug users applied drugs by injection method. Thus, according to poll conducted in “the streets”, it was known, that consumption of drugs by injection method prevailed over official consumption.
Level of risky behavior among the drug addicts is rather high. 40% of the polled people consume drugs daily by injection method and 15% of them use common needles. Many women applying drugs by injection method earn money by prostitution. The outcomes of polls prove that risky behavior of drug addicts presents potential threat for HIV, hepatitis and other infection dissemination.
New tendencies in use of narcotics
It is necessary to mention, that in 2002 the disease incidence indicator reflecting drugs dissemination rates decreased thrice as against 2001.
Dynamic of disease incidence of drug addiction is given below (in %):
1995 - 1,6%
1996 - 1,3%
1997 - 2,1%
1998 - 9,4%
1999 - 21,8%
2000 - 28,8%
2001 - 26,8%
2002 - 8,6%
Narcological clinics underline that the number of drug users asking for treatment has sharply decreased for the reporting year.
While making research among drug consumers, the responders noted reduction in supply of drugs in the illegal market starting from end of 2000 and beginning of 2001. Analysis of the situation proves that this tendency is due to successful work of the Law enforcement bodies, as well as monopolization of drug-business by large groups oriented to other countries’ market.
On the other hand, reduction of number of people asking for treatment is due to the limit of services provided by narcologiccal clinics and shortage of the medical equipment.
STATE OF NARCOLOGICAL ASSISTANCE
Health Ministry takes certain efforts towards ensuring of population with narcological assistance, however, the process goes slowly. The state of the narcological clinics is rather weak.
Insufficient budget financing as well as shortage of psychopharmarceutical, tools and reagents, under-manning of medical staff create serious setbacks in a way to treat drug addicts.
Basic problems of the narcological service:
- Shortage of the qualified personnel;
- Weak technical equipment;
- Insufficient financing.
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Last year, 91 International delegations visited the Agency on drug control under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, which was responsible for the development of the international cooperation in the field of drug control. This Agency also conducted meetings with Ambassadors of several countries, as well as representatives of the international organizations. In the course of these meetings, perspectives aimed at strengthening further collaboration and interaction in the field of drug trafficking, rendering technical assistance and proving training for Law enforcement bodies of the Republic of Tajikistan were discussed.
Working meetings with representatives of Law enforcement bodies of Russia, Afghanistan and Iran were carried out. Protocols on expansion of collaboration in the field of illicit drug trafficking were signed upon the outcomes of the meetings.
The representatives of the Republic of Tajikistan partook at the 4th Annual Session of the countries-participant of Memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of drug control held in Ashkhabad.
Seminar- meeting for the personnel of the specialized services of the Central Asian countries, Russia, Great Britain and Germany was organized by the financial support of UNDCP.
Meetings of Foreign Anti-Narcotic Community of Central Asia and Mini-Dublin Group were held in October 2002. The aim of these meeting were to ginger up cooperation for preventing illicit drug trafficking and abuse of drugs.
Stage by stage training on modern methods to fight with narcotics was conducted within EC “ADMIT” project based on Agency on drug control under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan. 100 representatives of Law enforcement bodies and Law enforcement structures from Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan took part in this training. A number of personnel of Law enforcement bodies have been train in EC countries.
There has been completed the first stage of EC “KADAP” project, within the framework of which, Agency on drug control under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan carried out various training seminars and courses. Law enforcement bodies and Law enforcement structures of the Republic of Tajikistan obtained special technical facilities amounting to 64 thousands Euro free of charge.
Programs titled “Strengthening control along Tajik-Afghanian borders” and “Strengthening potential of Law enforcement bodies to combat drugs in collection of data and information” are being performed. The following has been made within these programs: Kinology service center is established; 5 police dogs are purchased; construction of nursery of service-kinology is completed; organizational issues regarding utilization of police dogs in airports and Dushanbe-1 and Dushanbe-2 railway stations are solved; work on establishment of specialized data bank on drug crimes is being continued.
For reporting period, 220 personnel of Law enforcement bodies of the Republic of Tajikistan have been trained at the refreshing course and seminars in CIS countries and abroad.
FIGHT AGAINST ILLICIT DRUG TRAFFICKING, PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES AND PRECURSORS
The Agency on drug control of the Republic of Tajikistan, while making manhunt last year, revealed 146 cases of illicit drug trafficking.
The activity of 29 crime groupings including organized group of drug-dealers consisting of seven people has been crushed. Measures against 101 accused people were taken up. Nine people are detained, which are under international manhunt. From illicit drug trafficking, it has been confiscated 828 kg 910 gr. narcotics, of them 596 kg and 290 gr. – heroin, and that is higher than the indicators of 2001 by 4,7% and 12,7%.
Last year, the Agency’s investigators completed investigating 102 crime cases, out of which 94 cases in relation to 121 persons were sent to courts for consideration.
Law enforcement bodies of the Republic of Tajikistan jointly with its counterparts from CIS countries have conducted 37 joint operations. During these operations, they confiscated 503 kg and 932 gr. of narcotics, 314 kg and 211 gr. constituted heroin. 16 units of firearms and 4450 various types of ammunitions were confiscated from drug-dealers.
Narcotics in 287 kg volume were annihilated in the special oven of the Agency. The Agency’s laboratory experts carried out 284 expertise and research, of which 263 chemical expertise and research of narcotic substances.
The activity of the Agency’s personnel is not limited with founding and crushing of crimes in relation to drugs. Under the support of this Agency, a crime activity of frenetic-killers, which roistered in the capital for a long time, was crushed.
PROVISION OF LEGAL DRUG TRAFFICKING AND PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES
Licensing Commission issued 129 licenses for conducting activity in the field of legal drug trafficking, psychotropic substances, precursor and 27 certificates for their import in the country in order to ensure control over observation of legal drug trafficking. In line with issuance of certificates and licenses regular meeting aimed at inspecting activities of the subjects dealing with legal drug trafficking, psychotropic substances and precursors are carried out.
The reference books “List of synonyms of psychotropic substances included in UN Convention on psychotropic substances of 1971” and “Precursors” prepared by the Agency on drug control of the Republic of Tajikistan, were issued an edition of 1000 copies with financial support of UNDCP in Central Asia, International Committee titled “Druggist without limits” and EC Humanitarian Office. The subjects dealing with legal drug trafficking are to use these reference books in their practical activity.
PROPHYLACTIC OF DRUG ADDICTION
Under condition, when, in spite of measures being taken, drugs remain accessible for consumers, prevention of drug addiction dissemination is a priority to combat narcotics. Drug consumption prophylactic among the population aims to prevent drug epidemic, and where this epidemic has already started, the aim is to localize it.
Taking into account the said above information, the prophylactic activity of the Agency was conducted in several main directions within 2002.
Educational work among women was one of them.
It is very difficult to over-evaluate the role of housekeepers in Tajikistan in anti-drug treatment of children and adolescents, because the majority of families in the Republic of Tajikistan are long families and women bear main burden to treat the children.
In view of above, during 2002 the representatives of government bodies, Law enforcement bodies, doctors and teachers hold a number of meetings with women-housekeepers in various region of the country. The meetings discussed various problems dealing with drug and importance of accurate treatment of children in drug addiction prophylactic.
The work among schoolchildren is another trend of the activity to prevent drug consumption, because children and adolescents are mostly subjected to involvement of drug consumption. Keeping in view this fact, there was conducted a number of anti-drug activities among school both in Dushanbe and other regions of the country. A number of seminars for the teachers of secondary school of Dushanbe were also conducted.
The specialist of prophylactic Center and combat HIV/AIDS worked out a special book titled “Healthy life” for high schools.
In August 2002, the Agency on drug control under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan hold activities on drug issues in summer camp in Garma and Shaartuze in cooperation with OSCE. The aim of this activity was to prepare agitators out of active young people. During this work, 250 young people from Rasht region have been train and received the information on drugs, drug addiction and methods to avoid the drug dependence.
There are 15 trust clinics in the Republic of Tajikistan for
drug-addicts applying injection method.
Upon proposal of the country’s President, Coordination Councils on drug-addiction prophylactic are established under province, city and district bodies of the Executive Council, which conduct a great deal of job in this direction.
With financial support of the US Embassy, the Agency on drug control under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan issued an anti-drug brochure titled “Drug addiction, What to do” en edition of 3000 copies and teacher edition for school teachers titled “Collection book on drug prophylactic, AIDS”, which are disseminated among wide readerships free of charge.
Broadcasting is also used widely. Last year, the Agency’s representative took part in 748 events using mass media. 158 publications were prepared and issued in country’s newspapers.
Monthly information bulletin titled “Agency on drug control news” is published in Russian and English languages, which is disseminated among embassies and international organizations accredited in the Republic of Tajikistan.
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