HEROIN is no longer the most problematic drug in Slovakia. It has been recently replaced by methamphetamine, with the number of people treated for addiction to marijuana also on the rise, the latest annual report of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) issued on May 27 revealed.
While 235 people were treated for addiction to methamphetamine in 2011, the number rose to 272 in 2012. Trends also see a rise in people smoking crystal methamphetamine and even injecting the drug, the TASR newswire reported.
Meanwhile, marijuana has retained its dominant position on the Slovak drug market, with alarming numbers of users especially among secondary-school students.
For the first time ever, the number of people treated for addiction to marijuana in Slovakia (432) in 2012 was higher than for heroin.
Though many people in Slovakia have reportedly tried cannabis, Slovakia remains far below the European average in terms of regular use of the drug.
“The number of fatal cases involving drug overdoses per one million is 17 in the EU on average, while in Slovakia it is only six cases,” said Alessandro Pirona from EMCDDA, as quoted by TASR.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
