Millions of Russians in need of drug addiction help

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by Change | 24 Mar 2010

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There are more people in need of drug addiction help in Russia than any other country in the world.

It is estimated that 2.5 million people in Russia are in need of drug addiction support, a figure higher than any other country in the world.

The overwhelming majority of the country's drug addicts, as much as 90 per cent, are addicted to heroin produced cheaply in Afghanistan, rt.com reports.

According to the Russian government, the production of narcotics in Afghanistan has increased by as much as 44 times since the beginning of the anti-Taliban assault in 2001, and serves as a much needed source of income for militants.

A Russia-NATO Council is meeting at the European Union in Brussels today (March 24th) to discuss how to tackle the issues stemming from heroin addiction.

The news provider went on to state that Afghanistan is suffering from serious drug problems too, with official figures showing that the country is home to approximately one million drug addicts, with the problem escalating among women and children.

Afghanistan's need for drug addiction help is typified by one abandoned building in Kabul. Once a Russian cultural centre, it is now used by drug addicts as a refuge in which to feed their habits.

In 2009, Viktor Ivanov, the head of Russia's Federal Drug Control Service, said 140,000 minors in the country were in need of drug addiction intervention.

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