Low drug usage for Lithuania

  • 2008-08-21
  • In cooperation with BNS

VILNIUS - Lithuania ranksamong the last ten countries among Eastern and Central European countries interms of the spread and usage of drugs, shows statistical data published by theUnited Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Compared to other countries across the globe, the Lithuanianrate of drug usage and is low.


Although Lithuania ranked 29th among 32 Eastern and Central European countriessurveyed for the usage of cannabis, the department's director AudroneAstrauskiene says that efforts against the type of drug required specialattention.


"Both the global and the national surveys show that cannabis remain themost popular drug in the world," Astrauskiene said in the press release.


About 7.5 percent of Lithuanian people of 15-64 years of age said they hadtried cannabis at least once in their lifetime. The latest 2008 researchsuggests that every third university student in Lithuania have tried cannabis.


According to the UNODC data, the usage of other types of drugs in Lithuaniais not very popular: the country ranks 25th in terms of ecstasy usage (0.4 ofthe population have tried it), 24th in terms of cocaine usage (0.3 percent) and22nd in terms of amphetamine usage (0.3 percent).


The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime works to fight against illicitdrugs and international crime.