Drugs deaths average 14 a year

ONE hundred and forty drug-related deaths have been recorded in Cyprus since 2004, according to the National Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.

Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou said the data show that out of 287 people arrested in 2013 in relation to addictive substances, 276 were men and 11 were women. Of these, 53 were pupils, 40 students, 52 soldiers, 64 employed and 78 unemployed.

Addressing an event on Thursday, Nicolaou said that in 2013 the Drug Law Enforcement Unit of the police handled 410 cases of drug addicts.

He said 296 persons belonged to the 18-24 age group.

Nicolaou noted that 516 people were referred to treatment facilities.

The overall number of cases linked to addictive substances came to 1,001, involving 1,165 people, of which 897 were Cypriots and 268 foreign nationals.

Cannabis was the most widely used substance last year.

 

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