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Romania Has 35,000 Injecting Drug Addicts: Report

Posted on: Friday, 25 November 2005, 09:00 CST

Romania has 35,000 injecting drug addicts: report

BUCHAREST, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- There are as many as 35,000 injecting drug users in Romania and 68.6 percent of them or about 24,000 living in the capital city, the Rompres news agency reported.

About 1 percent of Bucharest's 2.34 million population are drug addicts, the report said, quoting figures from the country's national drug fighting administration.

Among the drug addicts all over the country, about 80 percent are male, who take heroin mainly through injections. And about 75 percent of the drug users in Romania are young people, aged between 14 and 25, according to the report.

Some people now begin to take drugs at younger ages. Besides, 0.46 percent of young parturients used drugs last year, up from 0.26 percent in 2000, the report said.

Violent drug-related crimes have become increasingly serious in the country, said the administration.

Drug rehabilitation centers have been set up in the capital city and all the 40 counties. In Romania, taking drugs is not a criminal offence, although it is punishable. Beginning from next year, drug users will be treated as patients who can go to rehabilitation centers voluntarily for treatment.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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