In 2005 within the “Legal Assistance” project of the BUMAD Programme the Steering Committee headed by an international legal expert elaborated recommendations on altering the Belarusian legislation in the area of drugs. The recommendations were later used by Ministries of Interior and Health for preparing bills which will be considered by the national parliament during the first half of 2006.
The BUMAD Programme will soon create in Belarus a database on drugs trafficking and organized crime which will be compatible with similar systems in other states participating in the project, as well as international organizations (Europol, Interpol, etc.). The database will contribute to accelerating investigations of criminal acts, increasing the quantity of confiscated precursors, conducting joint operations with law enforcement agencies of other countries. A new system of collecting and analyzing of updated information about narcotics developed by Estonian experts was recommended for testing to appropriate divisions of State Security Committee (KGB), Ministry of Interior, State Customs Committee and State Border Guard Committee.
A practical guide on prevention of psycho-active substances was developed and prepared for publication within the framework of another component of the Programme – “Police and Community Prevention” project. This guide is recommended for educational, police and law enforcement experts, as well as members of public associations responsible for arranging and conducting prevention activities.
The "Minsk Region against Drugs" drive held from April through June became the first experience of joint efforts by police, education, health, culture and sports agencies on prevention of drug abuse in Belarus. The event focused mainly on Borisov and Soligorsk districts, where the problem of drug addiction is becoming increasingly alarming.
The car festival in Soligorsk turned out to be one of the most memorable events of the drive. The festival included an exhibition and parade of vehicles, bikers' contests, and a concert of popular artists. The event was organized by a non-governmental organization “Republic Without Drugs”. It helped draw the attention of the public to youths' problems and to the upward trend in drug abuse by adolescents, and contributed to the formation of their negative attitude to drugs.
In 2005 the BUMAD Programme funded the opening of two anonymous offices “Your Choice” in Minsk and Soligorsk. The offices – a novelty in a way – provide comprehensive services to injection drug users, including psychological, social and medical assistance by consultants, outreach managers, infection specialists and surgeons. In the past drug addicts had to seek help of different doctors in different medical institutions. Now they need to visit only one room.
In order to strengthen the control over drugs, the needs of several previously selected border crossing posts were analysed last year in Belarus. The BUMAD Programme determined the spheres of cooperation with similar programmes and projects which were already in the process of implementation. Creation of a national drug observatory is envisaged within the framework of the BUMAD Programme. The observatory will prepare annual reports on the drug situation in Belarus. The data will be collected in accordance with the EU standard methodology. The observatory will also provide premises for a library containing the best literature on drugs.
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