Anti-drug squads and a special constitution are planned to be created in educational institutions of Vitebsk region

This proposal was put forward by Anton Volkov, Senior Assistant Prosecutor of the region for supervising the enforcement of legislation on minors and youth, during a "round table" on the prevention of drug addiction among youth in higher, secondary vocational, and professional educational institutions, which took place at the regional executive committee.

It is assumed that anti-drug squads will work in close contact with the BRSM (Belarusian Republican Youth Union) and internal affairs bodies. The activities of youth squads will also include raids to identify cases of psychoactive substance use and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle among peers.

For the purposes of prevention and increasing the legal literacy of both educators and students, Anton Viktorovich called for the creation of a unique constitution – a thematic collection that will outline measures and explanations of administrative and criminal liability, provide specific examples of crimes and court decisions, detail the negative impact of drug use on the body, and disciplinary responsibility stipulated within the educational institutions themselves. The prosecutor's office will oversee the project, but other interested services, including the Department of Internal Affairs, healthcare, and education, are planned to be involved in the creation of the collection. The information gathered in a single document is intended for distribution and open access in schools, lyceums, and universities.

In addition, the issue of strengthening parental responsibility for drug use by their children is currently being worked out. According to Dmitry Novikov, Senior Inspector for Special Assignments of the Department of Public Order and Prevention of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Regional Executive Committee, the experience of working with minors on record shows that in most cases, parents have lost their authority with teenagers because adults pay little attention to communicating with their children. The draft amendments to the regulatory legal acts also provide for a ban on the use of drugs and alcohol by minors not only in public places.

If the family is the first link in the fight against this evil, then the educational institution where the child studies occupies the second place. Although a certain system of interaction between teachers, law enforcement officers, and doctors has already been established in Pridvinye, the problem still requires the search for new approaches.

Overall, according to the Vitebsk Regional Center for Psychiatry and Narcology, in 2014, the incidence of drug addiction in the region increased by 28.3% compared to 2013, with 92 people registered, and the growth was due to the use of synthetic mixtures, or so-called "spice". Of the 93 registered cases of children and adults admitted to medical institutions in the region with drug overdose, spice was the cause of emergency hospitalization in 51 cases. Out of 100,000 children, 32 children use psychoactive substances, and consumption has increased among students of schools and vocational schools. And this is only official statistics; as a rule, the actual numbers exceed it by 10-15 times.

Natalia Ryzhkova, "Vitebskiye Vesti"