The Prime Minister of Georgia presented at today’s briefing two initiatives related to the fight against drug abuse.

“Over the past month, a number of significant operations have been carried out to detect and prevent drug-related crimes. Just a few days ago, 300 kg of heroin were seized. Yesterday, 18 drug dealers were arrested. Work in this direction will continue and become even more intensified. I want to once again thank the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the successful special operations.

Drug addiction is a severe affliction and a serious problem not only for Georgia, but for the vast majority of countries around the world. Pseudo-liberal ideology, whose primary goal is the degradation of society and the facilitation of its manipulation, is deliberately trying-alongside other harmful trends-to promote the widespread dissemination of drug addiction in various countries. Georgia is one such example. They are promoting the term liberal drug policy, which is ostensibly aimed at reducing drug abuse, but in reality, serves to encourage its wider spread. Pseudo-liberal ideology attempts to portray the use of marijuana and so-called club drugs as trendy, while in fact these substances cause irreparable harm to a person"s physical and mental health-just like any other narcotic. It is our duty to firmly oppose this pseudo-liberal agenda and to protect our society and especially our youth from yet another devastating threat-drug addiction-which is being artificially imposed on us.

As for the two specific initiatives that I wish to present today:

- The first initiative concerns substitution therapy programs for drug addiction, which are currently implemented by both the state and private entities. As widely known, substitution therapy involves the use of substances such as methadone and buprenorphine. There is a well-founded public concern that, in many cases, services provided by private companies aim not at curing the patient, but at legally supplying narcotic substances. When a private company has a direct commercial interest in maximizing the distribution of such medications, it is naturally tempted to prioritize sales over genuine treatment. This practice must be entirely eliminated. Therefore, we have made the decision to fully prohibit the implementation of substitution therapy programs by private entities. It is crucial that responsibility for administering substitution therapy-which is classified as a high-risk medical activity-rests solely with the state. The state will ensure the implementation of unified treatment standards through its own institutions. Control over state-run substitution therapy programs will be tightened. It will be strictly ensured that every service is geared toward the patient"s swift recovery and is not misused to encourage so-called legal drug addiction. Additionally, I have requested that the Minister of Health ensure that infrastructure for substitution therapy be relocated from densely populated areas as quickly as possible. Currently, much of this infrastructure is located in such areas, which understandably causes dissatisfaction among local residents.

- The second initiative concerns the non-medical, narcotic use of psychotropic medications. Even a cursory analysis shows that the consumption of psychotropic drugs in Georgia today-particularly benzodiazepines-greatly exceeds what would be considered reasonable, reinforcing public suspicion that these medications are widely used for narcotic purposes. At present, psychotropic drug imports are carried out by private entities, which have a direct interest in artificially encouraging consumption. To curb this practice, we will completely ban the importation of psychotropic medications by private companies. The import and distribution of medicines subject to special control will become the exclusive prerogative of the state. In addition, strict oversight will be imposed on prescription issuance and drug dispensing practices. The government will closely monitor usage statistics for psychotropic medications on a continuous basis. A significant decline in these statistics will serve as reliable evidence that the state has successfully tackled the misuse of psychotropic medications.

We will not allow anyone to abuse the legal framework and turn the distribution of narcotic substances into a legitimate business. The legislative amendments we have prepared are aimed precisely at eliminating such practices.

I would like to ask the Parliament of Georgia to adopt the relevant legislative amendments next week in an expedited procedure. The law will define specific timelines within which the Ministry of Health must carry out a range of measures to ensure smooth implementation of the process, including the protection of patients" rights.

Let me state clearly: no individual who is rightfully enrolled in a substitution therapy program will be left without access to medication. Once again, I want to emphasize that the Government of Georgia will show zero tolerance toward narcotics distributors. We will not allow anyone to poison our citizens, and especially our youth. The public will be regularly updated on the concrete measures being taken against drug-related crime”, - said Irakli Kobakhidze.