DUSHANBE, July 14, 2011, Asia-Plus -- 265 new drug dependent persons registered in Tajikistan over the first six months of this year have brought a total number of the officially registered drug dependent persons in the country to some 7,500, Minister of Health Nusratullo Salimov announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on July 13.

According to him, injecting drug users (IDUs) constitute more than 60 percent of the officially registered drug dependent persons in the country.  “People aged 30 to 50 constitute 65 percent of the drug dependent persons in Tajikistan,” the minister said, noting that the drug addiction situation has improved compared to the previous years and shows a downward tendency in the country.

Salimov noted that replacement therapy was used for rehabilitation of drug users in the country under financial and technical support of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund).

“Under the national drug abuse prevention program designed for 2008-2012, more than 38 explanatory meetings to raise drug addiction aware of the population have been held across the country over the first six months of this year,” the minister added.