"This is definitely a direction we can take," Siliņa told the media after a meeting with the President, when asked about the Latvian Medical Association's proposal to decriminalize illegal drug use to prevent deaths among teenagers and young people. The association has stated that drug users are afraid to seek help, even when their lives are in danger, as they are afraid of criminal liability.
She said that, when she was Minister of Welfare in the previous government, she had made this request to the Coordinating Council for Drug Addiction Control, which, among other things, had already accepted the move to decriminalize drug use among young people. The Prime Minister has also asked for a meeting of the various responsible bodies on the issue, and the idea has been discussed with ministers.
"There is support for such an initiative. Everyone understands how dangerous it is that young people do not report drug use to the authorities for fear of criminal liability, or that friends hide the fact of use, and we could lose young people as a result."
Siliņa added that drug possessors, distributors, and traffickers must remain subject to fines and criminal liability. "But young people need rehabilitation and services, because often drug use is not something to do for fun, and often these young people come from socially disadvantaged families, are in care institutions."
"I certainly support this initiative and I hope that we will be able to articulate why we are doing this, that it is not to remove the risk of drugs, but on the contrary, we want to help young people who may have done something stupid by giving them a chance rather than putting them in a penal institution," the Prime Minister explained.
The President also expressed support for the idea of exempting young people from criminal liability for drug use, but keeping the penalties for drug dealers.
"The message - if you use, if you have a problem, call the doctors, you won't be fined - is the right one. It is the right direction," the President stressed.
At the same time, Rinkēvičs stressed the need for more public awareness and education about the devastating effects of drugs.
