On June 25 of the current year, in connection with the "June 26 - International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking",an online conference was held on "Strengthening the fight against drug addiction among youth" by the State Commission on Combating Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Chairman of the State Commission on Combating Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking Ali Ahmadov, Minister of Youth and Sports Azad Rahimov, Deputy Speaker of the Milli Majlis, Chairman of the Youth and Sports Committee Adil Aliyev, members of the State Commission, Chief of the Main Drug Control Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Colonel Islam Humbatov, Chairman of the Public Union "Propaganda against Drugs", Deputy of Milli Maclis Mazahir Efendiyev, Executive Director of the Azerbaijan Youth Foundation Farid Jafarov, President of the Azerbaijan National Non-Governmental Organizations Forum, Member of the State Commission Rauf Zeyni, Head of the Project Coordination Department of the Center for Public Health and Reforms Sabina Babazadeh, Chairman of the National Council of Youth Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan Maryam Majidova and others participated at the meeting.
Chairman of the State Commission Ali Ahmadov noted that according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, drug trafficking is the third most profitable sector in the world. Millions of people in the world and thousands of people in our country suffer from this scourge. According to international statistics, the growing number of drug addicts among young people and adolescents is a worrying factor. The fight against drugs in the Republic of Azerbaijan has been under the constant attention and control of National Leader Heydar Aliyev. The relevant State Commission was established in 1996, and then the Law on Combating Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursors was adopted. The fight against drug addiction and drug trafficking is one of the priorities of the Azerbaijani state. Till today , three state programs have been successfully implemented to eliminate this social scourge. The fourth State Program has been implemented since 2019, approved by the Order No. 1334 of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, dated July 22, 2019.
Other speakers at the conference said that educating young people as worthy citizens, promoting a healthy lifestyle among them is one of the main tasks of the state youth policy implemented in the Republic of Azerbaijan. It was noted that the "State Program of Azerbaijani Youth 2011-2015" signed by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev envisages the implementation of measures in the field of youth health protection and state support for vulnerable groups. It was noted that the "Azerbaijani Youth State Program for 2017-2021" instructed the relevant authorities to further expand activities in this direction. "The State Program for 2019-2024 on Combating Illicit Trafficking of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Their Precursors and Drug Addiction" identifies comprehensive measures to be taken in this direction.
During his speech, Minister of Youth and Sports Azad Rahimov informed about the projects implemented by the ministry on the fight against drugs, noting that campaigns, cultural events, competitions and festivals are organized in order to fight against drugs. Young Ambassadors for Sustainable Development are closely involved in educating and informing young people, sharing their knowledge and experience with . At the same time, local offices of the ministry in Baku and other regions and cities of the country, as well as youth non-governmental organizations regularly take measures to promote a healthy lifestyle among young people. At the same time, the ministry constantly cooperates with the working group of the State Commission, implements joint projects in this area, which has a positive impact on the effectiveness of measures.
At the end of the video conference, Chairman of the State Commission Ali Ahmadov noted that the steps taken in the fight against drugs are yielding positive results. However, there is a need to further expand activities , to implement new and creative actions in this area. During the pandemic and post-pandemic periods, the forms of measures to be taken in this area should be re-discussed, and the implementation of modern, effective projects should be on the agenda. At the same time, the State Commission for Combating Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking and other government agencies will continue to mobilize all their resources to contribute to the fight against drugs, and will continue to work in this direction.
