The resolution is addressed to the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Welfare, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development, the Ministry of Education and Science, and the State Chancellery. Representatives of the Rīga and Jūrmala municipalities are also invited to attend the joint meeting.
The joint meeting will examine issues related to the circulation of drugs in general and assess the measures needed to prevent the use of addictive substances and reduce the risk of addiction among young people, as well as public awareness on how to identify a child or young person who is falling into addiction and how to act in the best interest of the child when seeking help, according to the statement.
As reported earlier by LSM, medical workers are raising concerns that drug use, especially synthetic drug use and overdoses among youth are on the rise. Health Ministry's statistics and trends show that the number of young people who have tried and regularly use drugs is increasing. 27% of 15-16 year olds in Latvia have tried any drug. At the same time, experts said that the number of young drug users admitted to hospital after using drugs is also on the rise, and some of them overdose repeatedly.
The figures are dramatic - at least four calls a day to the Emergency Medical Service are related to drug overdoses in young people.
