2005 NATIONAL REPORT (2004 data) TO THE EMCDDA by the Reitox National Focal Point “Latvia” New Development, Trends and in-depth information on selected issues REITOX The report was prepared by: Ieva Matisone Head of the National Focal Point Linda Sle National Focal Point Mrcis Trapencieris National Focal Point Jnis Misiš Health Statistics and Medical Technologies State Agency Irna Putne State Police Ilze Koroeva Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, University of Latvia Sigita Sniere Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, University of Latvia 2 Table of contents Table of contents ......................................................................................................................................3 Summary...................................................................................................................................................4 PART A: New Developments and Trends.................................................................................................9 National Policies and Context ..............................................................................................................9 Legal framework..............................................................................................................................9 Institutional framework, strategies and policies .............................................................................10 Budget and public expenditures ....................................................................................................11 Social and cultural context.............................................................................................................12 Drug Use in the Population ................................................................................................................15 Drug use in the general population................................................................................................15 Drug use in the school and youth population.................................................................................16 Drug use among specific groups ...................................................................................................16 Prevention..........................................................................................................................................18 Universal prevention......................................................................................................................18 Selective/indicated prevention.......................................................................................................19 Problem Drug Use..............................................................................................................................22 Prevalence and incidence estimates .............................................................................................22 Profile of clients in treatment .........................................................................................................22 Main characteristics and patterns of use from non-treatment sources ..........................................27 Drug-related Treatment......................................................................................................................28 Treatment systems........................................................................................................................28 Drug free treatment .......................................................................................................................30 Medically assisted treatment .........................................................................................................30 Health Correlates and Consequences ...............................................................................................33 Drug Related Deaths and Mortality of Drug Users ........................................................................33 Drug Related Infectious Diseases .................................................................................................34 Psychiatric Co-morbidity (dual diagnoses) ....................................................................................37 Other drug-related health correlates and consequences...............................................................37 Responses to Health Correlates and Consequences.........................................................................38 Prevention of Drug Related Deaths...............................................................................................38 Prevention and Treatment of Drug Related Infectious Diseases ...................................................38 Social Correlates and Consequences ................................................................................................40 Social Exclusion ............................................................................................................................40 Drug related Crime ........................................................................................................................41 Drug use in prison .........................................................................................................................42 Social costs ...................................................................................................................................42 Responses to Social Correlates and Consequences .........................................................................43 Social Exclusion ............................................................................................................................43 Prevention of drug related crime ...................................................................................................43 Drug Markets......................................................................................................................................44 Availability and supply ...................................................................................................................44 Seizures ........................................................................................................................................44 Price/purity ....................................................................................................................................45 PART B: Selected Issues........................................................................................................................46 Gender Differences ............................................................................................................................46 European Drug policies: extended beyond illicit drugs?.....................................................................47 Developments in drug use within recreational settings ......................................................................49 Motivation towards drug use in recreational settings in Riga.........................................................49 Respondent characteristics ...........................................................................................................50 Leisure time and popular entertainment places.............................................................................50 Availability of drugs in places of entertainment..............................................................................51 Young people’s personal experiences of drug use........................................................................51 Information and attitude toward drug use ......................................................................................52 Conclusions...................................................................................................................................53 PART C: Bibliography and Annexes .......................................................................................................54 Bibliography .......................................................................................................................................54 Annex A: List of Abbreviations ..........................................................................................................55 Annex B: List of tables, figures and maps .........................................................................................56 Part D: Standard Tables and Structured questionnaires.........................................................................57 3 Introduction The current 2005 National report on drug situation in Latvia is published by the National Focal Point at the State Addiction Agency and it complies with the EMCDDA (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction) guidelines for annual national reports. It consists of qualitative and quantitative data as well as other information on new developments and trends in the drug field in Latvia in 2004 and first part of 2005. Data and other information for the report is provided by various public and private institutions and individuals with expertise in the field. Since the first National Report in 2000 the overall quality of the data flow has definitely improved, however there are needs for further improvements in the field. The aim of the report is to provide reliable and objective information on drugs and drug addiction in Latvia. The authors would like to thank all individuals and organizations directly and indirectly involved in producing of this report. 4