Events

Addressing participants of the conference, among other things the President asked whether the interagency council set up under the aegis of the government had enough authority to fight drug abuse and the illegal turnover of narcotics. “I am simply disheartened by these commissions that you suggest we should create and new councils on top of the minister and those in charge of fighting narcotics. I don’t understand why you are doing it. Are you dragging your feet? What effect will any commission or council bring?” said the head of state.

In Belarus there are specialists that directly fight the spread of narcotics. “We have the people that fight this disease on the basis of the law as well as moral norms and their internal convictions. We have the relevant minister, investigators, prosecutors, judges and so on. I don’t understand what else we need,” noted the President. “There are councils and commissions everywhere. If there is a council or a commission available, then those, who have to deal with the problem, will look up to the council and the commission. And the council and the commission will take months to give answers to those, who expect responses from higher-ups. We will drown any process in red-tape by doing so. You have to answer whether we need it or not. No more of deliberations”.

Alexander Lukashenko was particularly concerned by the decreasing age of drug abusers in Belarus. School students, vocational school students, university students, and other kinds of youth are now among them. The number of smoking blend consumers has increased. Over 1,000 cases of spice overdose have been registered, with 25 people dead in two years. “It brings sorrow to families and the state. It is a threat to the gene pool of the nation,” stressed the President. He reminded that the problem had been raised at a recent meeting with students of the pedagogical university. “Back then I promised that we will pool all the resources to accomplish the strategic goal of forming a hardworking, educated and healthy nation. The danger of alcohol abuse and drug abuse was mentioned back then. It is not something plaguing individuals at the bottom of the society. It is a serious threat to the present and the future of our society and the state. And the threat concerns absolutely everyone, including those present here today because everyone has children and grandchildren,” stressed the head of state.

The President called for a complex, countrywide approach to fighting the illegal turnover of narcotic substances. “It is necessary to pursue an effective state policy against narcotics. The main goals include the prevention of drug addiction in the population and the decisive suppression of drug crimes. Fortunately, we can still do it and without too much effort. The state administration mechanisms, the structure of the state authority, the approaches allow us to resolve the problem,” noted the Belarusian leader.