OSCE Mission to Skopje encourages co-operation to tackle drug abuse

SKOPJE, 30 May 2007 - The Interior Ministry handed a document containing information about all institutions dealing with drug abuse to local officials and civil society leaders today during a workshop organized by the OSCE Mission to Skopje.

"Co-operation and communication are key elements in the national Drug Strategy. This information will help participants to set up self-sustainable networks to strengthen this co-operation," said Thomas Botterman, Senior Community Policing Adviser the OSCE Mission's Police Development Unit.

The 32 workshop participants from Bitola in the southwestern part of the country learned how the document could help citizens contact institutions to address drug-related concerns.

"This tool will help the community and authorities to make progress in their joint fight against illicit drugs," said Hristo Zdravkovski, Chief of the Sector for Internal Police Affairs in Bitola.

Earlier this week, the Bureau for the Development of Education released a new study showing that about 8,600 new cases of drug or alcohol addiction among primary and secondary school students appear each year A survey on Community Policing last year showed that 60 per cent of the population is worried about drug abuse.