Country overview: Latvia
- Situation summary
- Data sheet
- Barometer
Contents
- Drug use among the general population and young people
- Prevention
- Problem drug use
- Treatment demand
- Drug-related infectious diseases
- Drug-related deaths
- Treatment responses
- Harm reduction responses
- Drug markets and drug-related offences
- National drug laws
- National drug strategy
- Coordination mechanism in the field of drugs
- Drug-related research
| Year | Latvia | EU (27 countries) | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 2010 | 2 248 374 | 501 105 661 p | Eurostat | |
| Population by age classes | 15–24 | 2010 | 14.5 % | 12.1 % p | Eurostat |
| 25–49 | 35.9 % | 35.8 % p | |||
| 50–64 | 18.5 % | 19.1 % p | |||
| GDP per capita in PPS (Purchasing Power Standards) 1 | 2009 | 52 | 100 | Eurostat | |
| Total expenditure on social protection (% of GDP) 2 | 2008 | 12.6 % p | 26.4 % p | Eurostat | |
| Unemployment rate 3 | 2010 | 18.7 % | 9.6 % | Eurostat | |
| Unemployment rate of population aged under 25 years | 2010 | 34.5 % | 20.9 % | Eurostat | |
| Prison population rate (per 100 000 of national population) 4 | 2009 | 309.5 | Council of Europe, SPACE I-2009 | ||
| At risk of poverty rate 5 | 2010 | 21.3 % | 16.3 % 6 | SILC | |
p Eurostat provisional value.
1 Gross domestic product (GDP) is a measure of economic activity. It is defined as the value of all goods and services produced less the value of any goods or services used in their creation. The volume index of GDP per capita in Purchasing Power Standards (PPS) is expressed in relation to the European Union (EU-27) average set to equal 100. If the index of a country is higher than 100, this country's level of GDP per head is higher than the EU average and vice versa.
2 Expenditure on social protection contains: benefits, which consist of transfers, in cash or in kind to households and individuals to relieve them of the burden of a defined set of risks or needs.
3 Unemployment rates represent unemployed persons as a percentage of the labour force. Unemployed persons comprise persons aged 15 to 74 who were: (a) without work during the reference week; (b) currently available for work; (c) actively seeking work.
4 Situation of penal institutions on 1 September, 2009.
5 Share of persons aged 0+ with an equivalent disposable income below the at-risk-of-poverty threshold, which is set at 60 % of the national median equivalised disposable income (after social transfers).
6 2009 figure.
Drug use among the general population and young people
The first national general population survey on drug use in Latvia was conducted in 2003 and repeated in 2007. The target population comprised persons aged 15–64 years old. In 2007, lifetime use of cannabis was reported by 12.1 % of respondents (10.6 % in 2003). Lifetime prevalence rates for other drugs were 3.3 % for amphetamines (2.6 % in 2003), 4.7 % for ecstasy (2.4 %), and 2.3 % for cocaine (1.2 % in 2003). Available data for younger adults (15–34 years old) showed that 21.7 % reported lifetime experience with cannabis and 8.5 % reported to have used ecstasy and 4 % with cocaine, 6.1 % amphetamines at least once in their life. Last year prevalence of cannabis use was reported by 9.7 % of the sample and last month prevalence by 3.6 %.
Cannabis is the most popular illicit drug among students aged 15–16 years, as demonstrated by the ESPAD survey conducted in last years. Lifetime prevalence of cannabis was reported by 17 % of students in 1999, 16 % in 2003 and 18 % in 2007. In 2007, results showed that inhalants lifetime prevalence was reported by 13 % of the students. Lifetime prevalence of ecstasy was reported by 7 % of the sample, amphetamines use was reported by 6 %, 4 % reported LSD use and 2 % for the lifetime prevalence of cocaine. Results indicated 11 % for the last year prevalence of cannabis use (9 % in 2003, 11 % in 1999), 4 % for the last month prevalence of cannabis (4 % in 2003, 5 % in 1999). In addition, the reported lifetime prevalence of cannabis use among males was 24 % and 13 % among females.
Prevention
The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Science are the main authorities responsible for drug prevention activities in Latvia. The Ministry of Education and Science is responsible for introducing drug prevention in school programmes and in youth programmes outside the school. Health classes that also address substance use are integrated into the basic national curriculum.
Following the financial downturn in 2009, national structural reforms were implemented which further influenced the extent and quality of implemented prevention measures. Several agencies working in the field of health prevention and promotion were closed and limited funding was available for programmes implemented by the non-governmental organisations.
In general, the drug prevention activities often are integrated into broader health promotion activities. Although they mostly focus on information provision, peer education and life-skill based methodologies are used mainly in extracurricular activities.
The implementation of selective prevention is generally weak and a unified approach to the implementation of universal and selective prevention activities is lacking. Due to lack of funding and capacity, only a few outcome evaluations are carried out.
Problem drug use
In 2006, an estimate based on the treatment multiplier method, taking into account the coverage of treatment reporting, indicated a prevalence between 3.1 and 6.2 cases per 1 000 inhabitants aged 15–64 years (4 794 to 9 588 users).
The most recent study conducted in 2008 using capture–recapture methodology estimated 5 912 heroin users in Riga. Extrapolation of this estimate to all problem drug users suggest there are around 9 000 problem drug users living in Riga city, while there could be around 18 000 problem heroin and/or amphetamine users in the country.
The EMCDDA defines problem drug use as intravenous drug use (IDU) or long duration/regular drug use of opiates, cocaine and/or amphetamines. Ecstasy and cannabis are not included in this category.
Treatment demand
Since 2008, the Centre of Health Economics has put into practice the new treatment recording system PREDA (Patient REgister DAta). Within the PREDA system, data about drug use is collected. The PREDA system is directly linked to the General Mortality Register. In 2009, treatment demand data was gathered from 34 outpatient centres out of the 60 centres across Latvia. No TDI data were collected from inpatient treatment centres for the reporting period.
In 2009, a total of 474 were first-time treatment clients in outpatient treatment centres, which is a decrease of the total number of first-time treatment clients registered in PREDA in 2008 (674). Data regarding first-time treatment clients entering treatment indicate that 37.0 % reported that opioids were the primary drug, followed by 29.0 % for amphetamines and 19.9 % for cannabis.
In 2009, 56 % of all new clients entering treatment were under the age of 25 years. As far as gender distribution is concerned among first time treatment clients, 79 % were males and a 21 % were females.
Drug-related infectious diseases
In Latvia, likewise to other Baltic countries, there is a high proportion of injecting drug users (IDUs) among all reported HIV cases. An increase in annually diagnosed HIV cases was observed in Latvia in the late 1990s and reached the peak in 2001. In 2009, newly-reported HIV positive cases in Latvia reached 275 cases (358 cases in 2008). Since 2001, the proportion of IDUs among newly diagnosed HIV cases has decreased gradually and in 2009, 74 cases (26.9 %) were transmitted through injecting drug use. The largest part of cases registered in 2009, 49.1 % (135), were transmitted through heterosexual contacts, 5.5 % (15) through homosexual contacts and in 0.7 % (2) of the cases, a mother had infected her child. For 17.8 % (49) of the cases, the mode of transmission remained unreported. However, the overall prevalence of HIV among injecting drug users remains high, in 2009, about 8.8 % of the clients of 18 needle and syringe programmes were tested HIV positive.
In terms of notification of data, the Infectology Center of Latvia provides data on HCV and HBV infections. In 2009, 3 out of 11 cases of HBV infection with known transmission route were linked to injecting drug use and 23 out of 51 HCV cases with known transmission route were linked to IDU. The 2007 seroprevalence study suggests HCV and HBV prevalence rates among IDUs were 74.4 % and 55.9 %, respectively.
Drug-related deaths
Ad-hoc data on drug-related deaths are available from the State Centre for Forensic Medical Examination. These data are based on the results of forensic tests and toxicological analyses. In 2009, there were 19 acute direct drug-related deaths for which the definition was in line with the drug-related deaths standards (24 in 2008, 21 in 2007, 17 in 2006 and 14 in 2005), the EMCDDA standard protocol for extracting data on drug-related deaths from registers in the Member States of the European Union (which includes acute deaths directly related to drug consumption or overdoses). Opiates were involved in 84.6 % cases. Of these 19 cases, 18 were males and one was female and the mean age was 28.1 years.
Treatment responses
In Latvia, the national coordination body for drug treatment is the Riga Centre of Psychiatry and Addiction Disorders, which is responsible for delivery, accreditation, monitoring and evaluation of drug treatment. Drug treatment is mainly delivered by the Riga Centre of Psychiatry and Addiction Disorders, together with hospitals which operate under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and are funded by the state budget of the Health Payment Centre. Long-term inpatient drug treatment (rehabilitation) for children is provided through funds from the Ministry of Welfare. Drug treatment is also delivered by private, profit-making organisations.
Drug treatment services are available in outpatient and inpatient clinics, and in addiction units at general medical treatment institutions which are either publicly or privately funded. Increasingly, different private organisations are providing drug treatment services, both on an outpatient and inpatient basis. Furthermore, the Riga Centre of Psychiatry and Addiction Disorders provides inpatient detoxification for problem drug users and residential psychosocial treatment. Since 1996, the Riga Centre of Psychiatry and Addiction Disorders has been providing methadone maintenance treatment, and since 2005, maintenance treatment has been offered using buprenorphine.
Since 1996, the Riga Centre of Psychiatry and Addiction Disorders has been providing methadone maintenance treatment, and since 2005, maintenance treatment has been offered using buprenorphine. In 2009, the total number of clients in substitution treatment was 189, of whom 139 were on methadone and 50 on buprenorphine. An increase in the total number of clients compared to 2008 data is noted, due to the expansion of the methadone maintenance programme beyond the Centre in Riga.
Harm reduction responses
There are two major harm reduction responses carried out in Latvia — opiate substitution programmes and a network of Low threshold centres (LTCs) for IDUs. The first needle-exchange programme (later LTC) was started in 1997. In 1999, street outreach activities were introduced. By the end of 2009, the network of 18 LTCs has been operational in the capital city area (3) and other local municipalities (15). In three sites, mobile needle and syringe programmes are offered. The network of LTCs is financed by the state and municipalities, as well as additional resources, such as projects which raise funds. LTCs provide a wide range of low-threshold services: needle exchange, outreach, voluntary HIV counselling and testing (VCT), viral hepatitis C testing, disinfectants, condoms, group and individual risk reduction information, education, etc. In 2009, approximately 283 000 syringes were distributed through the programme.
Latvia also participates in transnational projects, aiming to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS, STDs, hepatitis and tuberculosis across the Baltic States.
Drug markets and drug-related offences
Latvia is often used as a transit country for transporting drugs and precursors to its neighbouring countries. Data from law enforcement institutions shows a number of import routes for illicit drugs: synthetic drugs are brought into Latvia from the neighbouring Baltic countries, Poland, the Netherlands and Germany; herbal cannabis and cannabis resin are imported from the Netherlands, Spain, Lithuania and also from the south of the Russian Federation; cocaine from Ecuador enters through Russia and Ukraine. Furthermore, Latvia is also used for cocaine transit from South America to Russia and the Scandinavian countries. Heroin enters the country from Lithuania, Turkey, Moldova, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and the Russian Federation mainly by air and land, and is further transported to the Scandinavian countries and back to the Russian Federation.
Data on drug seizures, which combine data from all law-enforcement agencies, are provided by the Forensic Service Department of the State Police. In 2009, the national authorities reported seizing 2 kg of heroin; the same amount was seized also in 2007 and 2008, indicating a stable presence of the drug in the market. A steady increase in the quantity of seized amphetamines was observed since the year 2000, with 11 kg seized in 2006. However, in 2007 the quantity of seized amphetamines decreased to 6 kg and in 2009 to 1 kg. At the same time, a steady increase in the seized amounts of methamphetamine was noted between 2003 and 2008, when 32 kg of the substance was seized. In 2009 however, the quantities of seized methamphetamine dropped to 8 kg. The drop in the seized amounts of cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy was noted in 2009, and this is partly explained by the declining purchasing ability due to economic crisis, and also reforms in police structures in the reporting year. The emerging market of new substances might be responsible for the declining proportion of synthetic drugs in the market.
According to information from the Ministry of the Interior, in 2009, there were a total of 4 506 drug-related offences reported, which is slightly less than in 2008 (5 111) .With regard to drug law offences, 27.4 % were methamphetamine-related offences, followed by 24.4 % for cannabis-related offences and 22.9 % for heroin-related offences. About 72.5 % of reports were use-related offences.
National drug laws
Administrative sanctions (a fine of about EUR 130 or administrative detention of up to 15 days) are applied for unauthorised acquisition and storage of small amounts of illicit drugs. Larger amounts for personal use (precisely determined in the law ‘On the Procedures for the Coming into Force and Application of the Criminal Law’) can lead to a criminal penalty of up to seven years in prison. Drug use without medical prescription is also an administrative offence, but for repeated illegal drug use within 12 months, a person may be sentenced to imprisonment for up to two years. Since 2004, the court may impose treatment with a suspended sentence, or release an addict from detention if he or she has agreed to undergo treatment, but there is no underlying control mechanism established.
Traffickers of any quantity may be sentenced to up to 10 years’ imprisonment, or eight to 13 years if large amounts, or especially dangerous substances, are involved.
In 2009, a number of new substances were added to the Schedule I of the Narcotic and Psychotropic substances and Precursors to be controlled in Latvia.
National drug strategy
Latvia's State Programme on Drug Control and Drug Addiction Restriction 2005–08 was evaluated in 2009. In 2010, the National Programme on Drug Control and Drug Addiction Restriction for 2011–17 was completed and submitted for the further approval of the Cabinet of Ministers. The new programme is consistent with the EU drug policy and also with several national planning documents. It foresees four main actions, namely: prevention, treatment, drug supply reduction and policy coordination and analysis of information.
Coordination mechanism in the field of drugs
The Drug Control and Drug Addiction Restriction Coordination Council, which is chaired by the Prime Minister and includes seven ministers and several national experts, is responsible for coordinating and reviewing national actions. It supervises four ad-hoc groups, which work on supply reduction, demand reduction, legal turnover and information analysis. The Centre of Health Economics where the NFP has been located, coordinates the day-to-day monitoring work, information provision and collection on illicit and licit drugs.
Drug-related research
The State budget funds most drug-related research in Latvia, particularly as the main studies at national level are included in the State programme on drug control and drug addiction restriction. The Centre of Health Economics, where the Latvian national focal point is located, funds studies on drug prevalence among the general population and the municipality of Riga is also a significant actor in funding, with the objective of improving prevention activities at city level. Social and youth research are the main types of research currently conducted by university departments, while basic and applied research are conducted by the Latvian Institute of Organic Chemistry. The Latvian national focal point, meanwhile, plays a significant role in monitoring and analysing the public health situation in the country, and in disseminating drug-related research findings. Recent drug-related studies mentioned in the 2010 Latvian National report mainly focused on aspects related to the prevalence of drug use, but research on responses to drug use and on consequences of drug use was also highlighted.
