Large-scale drug addiction threatens Russian security.

IRKUTSK (Itar-Tass) - A large-scale drug addiction
threatens Russian security, the State Council working group said in a
report on tougher measures against drug addiction among young people.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will chair a meeting of the State
Council presidium in Irkutsk on Monday.
A tougher criminal responsibility for inciting underage children in
drug trafficking and the introduction of drug addiction tests at the
schools are among the priority measures.
"The number of only officially registered drug addicts grew nine times
against 1996 to reach over 600,000 people now," the experts said in the
report. "The real number of drug addicts in Russia is estimated at about
2-2.5 million people or about two percent of country's population. They
are mainly young people," the experts said.
"The law enforcement agencies reported that 53% of people, who
committed drug-related crimes, are under 30 in 2010," the experts cited
the statistical report.
"The annual economic damages from the spread of drug addiction in
Russia makes about one trillion roubles or more than two percent of GDP,"
the report runs.
As complex measures for the struggle against drug addiction among
young people the working group "offers a new anti-drug model of this work
that envisages more intensive measures for the social rehabilitation of
drug addicts and their comeback in the socially active environment along
with more efficient drug addiction preventive measures."
The working group believes that "the elimination of negative phenomena
(from drug addiction) needs the state programs seeking to resolve general
social tasks should to be harmonized better with drug addiction preventive
measures."
"The regional executive authorities should develop the programs for
the social rehabilitation of drug addicts, who passed a drug addiction
treatment course, with vacancies and psychological consultations provided
for them," the experts assumed.
They noted that "regional chief executives should put under a tougher
personal control the implementation of the programs to promote a healthy
lifestyle, attract young people in going in for sports and to involve the
growing generation in the public work."
"We should take some measures to give all types of state support under
the legislation, including the subsidies to socially oriented
organizations of all types of property that are engaged in drug addiction
prevention, upbringing, social and medical rehabilitation of drug
addicts," the experts believe.
One more measure, which the working group offers, is "a tougher
criminal responsibility for inciting underage children in drug
trafficking, seducing them in the use of drugs and psychotropic
substances, and for masterminding and keeping drug houses."
"The drug addiction situation in the country can be given an unbiased
assessment thanks to the introduction of drug tests among the students and
the personnel of the production enterprises with a high man-made disaster
hazard during medical examinations in order to make the drug addiction
prevention more efficient," the State Council working group stated in the
report.

.Indian warships arrive in Vladivostok.

VLADIVOSTOK, April 18 (Itar-Tass) -- The detachment of Indian warships
arrived in Vladivostok, which is the main Russian Pacific Fleet base, on
Monday.
The Indian warships under the command of Commander of the Indian
Eastern Fleet, Rear Admiral Bisht are three missile destroyers Delhi,
Ranvir and Ranvijay, the Kirch corvette and the Jioti tanker. The Russian
host ship will be a big anti-submarine ship Admiral Tributz.
The Pacific Fleet command and the Vladivostok mayor will receive the
Indian naval sailors. The Indian naval sailors will visit the memorial
sites in the city and the fleet and their military orchestra will give a
concert. The Indian warships will be open for Vladivostok residents and
guests to go on free tours of the ships. On April 22, the Indian naval
ships will set out back to India.
The Indian warships pay already the second visit to Vladivostok. In
2007 the Indian missile destroyers Mysor, Ranjit and Rana, the Kutar
corvette and the Jioti tanker were participating in the joint
anti-terrorist exercises.
The Pacific Fleet warships visited India several times in the nineties
of the previous century and in 2001, 2003 and 2005.