Drug Control chief says average Russian addict starts at 15April 25, 2013 - 12:42 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The average Russian drug addict starts taking drugs at the age of 15-16, the chief of the country’s Drug Control Service said, according to RIA Novosti. “The average age when addicts start taking drugs is 15-16 years, and the average age of those who die from diseases associated with drug addiction and from overdose is 30 years,” Viktor Ivanov said at a congress of a national volunteer antidrug movement in the city of Saransk, central European Russia. “An extremely high mortality - over 100,000 people annually - is observed in the healthiest and most active 15-34 age category,” Ivanov said. The chief drug enforcement official said 8.5 million people use drugs more or less regularly in Russia. He stressed volunteer organizations may play an important role in rehabilitation of addicts if they manage to convince them to start treatment. Some 30,000 Russians die from heroin abuse every year, according to official statistics. Top stories As a result of floods in Armenia’s northern Lori and Tavush provinces, 17 bridges, including five large ones, have collapsed. David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with Stephan Schütz, Executive Partner at Gerkan, Marg and Partners. The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. Partner news Most popular in the section | Concept to complete Yerevan Cascade discussed at city hall A conceptual proposal to complete the Cascade complex in downtown Yerevan has been presented by Jean-Michel Wilmotte. €3.5 mln EU grant to support justice reforms in Armenia The European Union has paid €3.5 mln grant to Armenia within a €11mln program on Support to Justice Reforms. Yerevan reacts to Baku’s proposal to see Minsk Group abolition Alen Simonyan has declared that Armenia is taking steps aimed at concluding a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State to travel to Armenia Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs James C. O’Brien will travel to Yerevan on June 10-12. |