Russian Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko pointed at the increased number of poisonings with synthetic drugs and habit-forming prescription medications in Russia.
“Statistics is showing an increase in the number of poisonings. These are substances that have a narrow therapeutic index, and overdoses, unfortunately, sometimes cause fatal outcomes,” the minister said at a meeting of the Council on Guardianship in the Social Sphere under the Government of the Russian Federation (as it is quoted by TASS).
As Murashko noted, while alcohol consumption is going down and the number of drug addicts is decreasing, there is a global growth of using synthetic illicit drugs and habit-forming prescription medications.
He also stressed that the existing regulation provides for equipping ambulances with the necessary antidotes. In addition, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is actively involved in the work on this issue. Murashko also noted the need to change the format of interaction with young people on the issues of drug use.
