Pubdate: Thu, 05 Sep 2002
Source: New York Times (NY)
Section: World Briefing
Copyright: 2002 The New York Times Company
Contact:  http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Author: Michael Wines
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)

RUSSIA: PUTIN SEES DRUG DISASTER

President Vladimir V. Putin declared drug addiction the equivalent of a 
natural disaster, citing new figures showing Russia has 500,000 registered 
drug users, three-quarters of them under 30. Experts say the true figure 
may be four or five times as great. While there has been a relative decline 
in drug use among the young, "we cannot afford to sit idly by," Mr. Putin 
said. Drug use has grown since the Soviet collapse in 1991, largely because 
Russia's southern borders have been porous routes for smugglers of opium 
and heroin.
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