Azerbaijan, Baku, March 11 / Trend S.Agayeva/
Azerbaijan should switch to the new tendencies in respect to drug-addicted people, the government considers.
Both Azerbaijan and the world in whole should move to new tendencies in respect to drug addicts, because drug addicts are not considered as criminals but patients, and attracted to treatment, said the Deputy PM, Chairman of the State Drug Control Commission Ali Hasanov at a meeting of the commission today.
According to the UN reports, drug production decreased worldwide in 2009, Hasanov said. In Azerbaijan, he noted with regret, the statistics on this issue does not still reflect the reality. For example, according to the Health Ministry, 2,185 people were registered as drug users in 2009 and thus, the number of drug users has reached 23,927 people.
A total of 2,500 tons of narcotic substances in various kinds were seized over 3,260 facts in 2009. This is 280 kg more than in 2008.
Meanwhile, 2,741 people were charged, the working group of State Commission reported. Over 386 kg of narcotic drugs were seized from 98 foreign citizens.
According to the head of the commission's working group, Araz Aliguliyev, the major part of drugs comes to Azerbaijan from Iran.
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