• 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
• References

Ukraine is divided into 27 administrative territories: Autonomous Republic of Crimea, 24 Oblasts, and the cities of Kyiv and Sevastopol, which total 608 districts (490 rural and 118 city districts). The country's largest city is Kyiv (2 740 200 residents, 2007).

According to data by the State Committee for Statistics of Ukraine (2007), the list of largest cities also includes Kharkiv — 1 461 000, Zaporizhya — 790 000, Dnipropetrovsk — 1 039 000, Lviv — 735 000, Odessa — 1 001 000, Kryvy Rih — 710 000, Donetsk — 988 000, and Mykolayiv — 507 000 residents.

The density of population of the country is 77 persons per 1 sq km. The eastern part of Ukraine has a higher population density, which is about 12.5 million. Another 9 million live in the South, and the same number — in the West. The northern and central parts of the country have the populations of 8 million each. Among the general population the urban portion was 67.4 %, while the rural one was 32.6 %. The gender breakdown of the population was 46.2 % males and 53.8 % females. The number of persons under the age of 15 years has been estimated as 14 %, those in the 15 to 64 group — 69.6 %, those older than 65 — 16.3 % of the country's entire population. The largest ethnic group is Ukrainians — 77.8 %. According to the 2001 All-Ukraine census data, Ukrainian is the native language for 67.5 % citizens. The largest religious community is the Orthodox Christians.

Drug use among the general population and young people

As for the general population surveys, until 2008 no research on drug use in the general population has been conducted in Ukraine. As a result for today Ukraine does not have the complete information by this indicator of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), except results of studies among school youth. In the context of the BUMAD project activities — specifically due to the creation of The Ukrainian National Alcohol and Drugs Monitoring Centre/National Drugs Focal Point — general population surveys on drug/alcohol use and related attitudes should be implemented during the closest years.

The ‘Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Study’ (HBSC), which is held in more than 41 countries of Europe and North America, was initiated in Ukraine with the support of the UNICEF and WHO. Two waves of the study have been completed in Ukraine (2002, 2006). The latest study involved 6 535 respondents aged 11, 13 and 15 years. Among them pupils aged 11, 13, 15 years old who studied at secondary school, 15 years old who studied at first year vocational school and first year students at higher education institutions. The survey tools were based upon the HBSC international project tools; a special piloting had been held to adapt it to the Ukrainian conditions.

According to the HBSC survey results, among 13-year old pupils 4 % used drugs at least 1 or 2 times in their life. Among the 15-year old pupils these numbers were 6 % of the secondary school pupils, 11 % among the first-year vocational school pupils and 10 % among first-year at higher education institutions students. 3 % of 13 years old pupils used marijuana or hashish from 3–5 times to 40 more times in their life (total answers). 5 % of 15 years old pupils of the secondary school, 12 % of the first - year vocational school pupils and 7 % of first-year at higher education institutions students used marijuana or hashish from 3-5 to 40 more times in their life. Over the preceding month, 1 % of 13-year olds pupils used drugs 1–2 times, among the 15-year olds these numbers were 2 % for the secondary school pupils, 4 % for the first-year vocational school pupils and 3 % for the first-year at higher education institutions students. From 3-5 times to 40 more times used drugs by 4 % of 15 years old of the first - year vocational school pupils and 1 % of the first-year at higher – education institutions students. As a result the highest level of drug use among the 15 year old was among pupils who studied in vocational school and higher –educational institutions.

The European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) has been introduced at the national level in Ukraine on regular basis since 1995. In 2007, the sample was 5 000 students born in 1990 to 1992 (2300 boys and 2 700 girls aged 15 and 16 years). According to the ESPAD 2007 (preliminary results) the most popular drug among 15-16 year-old school pupils was marijuana or hashish (13.6 % used it at least once during their lifetime). 4.1 % in this group consumed tranquillisers and sedatives and 2.6 % inhalants (glue), 2.5 % used ‘club’ drug ecstasy.

Table 1: Drugs used by 15-16 year old pupils at least once during their lifetime, %

* Relevin — non-existent type of drugs

The study in 1999 showed the most high drug use prevalence compared with the previous and subsequent studies. In that time drugs was widely acceptable for youth, low level of the social control and Ukraine was in the transformation process. In 1999 was accepted the Law of Ukraine ‘About measures of counteraction to illegal circulation of drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors and abusing them’.

In the period of time from 2003 in Ukraine started a lot of the prevention programs directed to the youth and school, drug use problems widely discussed in the society.

The analysis in dynamics of the 2003 and 2007 surveys results showed the decrease the number of 1 516 years old pupils, who used marijuana or hashish at least once in their life from 20.7 % in 2003 to 13.6 % in 2007. In 2003, 6.3 % of pupils used inhalants at least once in their life, and in 2007, 2.6 %. In this group, ecstasy use grew from 1 % in 2003 to 2.5 % in 2007 among pupils.

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Prevention

During the last 10 years, a number of pilot school education programmes on drugs and alcohol have been tested in the country. According to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, elementary education on drug/alcohol (1–3 academic hours per year) for pupils in grades 5–9 is implemented in all secondary schools of Ukraine. A new modern education programme on alcohol and drugs, based on involvement of pupils, their parents and teachers in prevention courses, is under elaboration for the national school education system.

The International Labour Organization Office in Ukraine and the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of Ukraine inform about slow annual growth in the number of drug/alcohol prevention activities in working place programs in Ukraine. A pilot in work place program was implemented in Ukraine under the ILO-UNODC project in 1995–97 in six pilot sites. As a result, the local drug/alcohol policy experiences were collected and the ARMADA Association was created. It united approx. Twenty Ukrainian enterprises for future development of drug/alcohol prevention at the work place. However, work places drug/alcohol prevention programs are not a popular goal for the state alcohol and drug-oriented activities.

The draft of The Law of Ukraine ‘On the Prevention of Alcoholism, Narcomania and Toxicomania’ includes chapters supporting the prevention programmes in working places.

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Problem drug use

The HIV Risky Population Behaviour Assessment in Ukraine study was carried out by the State Research Institute of Youth and Family Problems and the Ukrainian Institute of Social Research, with the financial support of the International Charitable Foundation ‘International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Ukraine’, as a part of the ‘Overcoming HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Ukraine’ programme supported by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in 2004 and 2005 in 14 oblasts of Ukraine. The study utilised the following methods: interviews with injection drug users, the estimating personal network size method, the Respondent Driven Sampling (furthermore RDS) method, the ‘capture–recapture’ method (questions about being in the narcological register), the multiplier method (by the hospitalisation and attendance of syringe exchange service index). Extrapolation coefficient was 1.45. The total number of injection drug users has been estimated 374 000 [95 % CI: [324 000; 424 700] persons.

According to expert estimates, the calculations cited also have certain limitations, with regard to inaccessibility of certain groups of IDUs, specifically users of stimulants, for behaviour surveys. For that reason, in order to cover the target group with prevention programmes it is recommended to use a higher number estimate — 425 000 persons (approximately 1.3 % of population aged 15 to 64).

The Monitoring of Injecting Drug Users' Behaviour as a Component of the Second-Generation Epidemiological Surveillance survey was conducted in 2005 by the State Institute of Family and Youth and the Ukrainian Institute of Social Research, with the financial support of the ICF ‘International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Ukraine’ as a part of implementation of the ‘Overcoming of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Ukraine’ programme among 3 542 injecting drug users in 13 oblasts of Ukraine and AR Crimea.

The injection behaviour study results showed that 25 % of respondents started to use drugs at the age of 16–17 and 23 % at the age of 18–19, others — 63 % of respondents injected ‘shirka’ (²) every day during the last three months (49 % twice per day, 24 % once per day). 46 % of IDUs combined opiates with other substances daily. 21 % of respondents injected so called ‘ephedron’ (stimulant) once per month, 19 % 2–3 times per month, 14 % once per week, 12 % two and more times per day. Another stimulant ‘pervitin’ (³) 10 % of respondents used every day, 11 % 2–3 times per week, 17 % once per week, 21 % 2–3 times per month and 26 % once per month.

27 % of respondents used unsterile paraphernalia for drugs preparation during last month, 14 % used it always or mostly, 19 % approximately in half of the cases and 34 % infrequently. More than 70 % of respondents never shared syringes and 29 % did not deny the syringes sharing during last month. 14 % of IDUs shared syringes at latest injection. During the last month, IDUs shared syringes with 3 persons (average) each.

The Narcological Register: According to the data by the Centre for Medical Statistics of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, by 1 January 2009, the prevalence of mental and behavioural illegal substance abuse disorders was 80 168 persons (173.7 per 100 000 of population), including those who use opiates — 62 711 (135.8 per 100 000 of population), cannabis — 4 197 persons (9.03 per 100 000 of population), more than one narcotic substance — 10 254 persons (22.07 per 100 000 of population), other psychoactive substances — 3 877 persons (8.34 per 100 000 of population). According to the data by the MoH, by 1 January 2009, the incidence of medically diagnosed mental and behavioural illegal substance abuse disorders was 3 091 (6.69 per 100 000 of population) persons were registered as opiate users; 683 persons (1.47 per 100 000 of population), 665 men, 18 women — as cannabis users; use of hallucinogenic substances, 8 persons (0.02 per 100 000 of population) — 5 men, 3 women; 1 286 persons (2.77 per 100 000 of population) — 1 138 men and 148 women — are poly-drug users (⁴).

According to the data of the Ministry of the Internal Affairs of Ukraine (The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine /Police/ Register), by 1 January 2008, 173 594 drug users were registered by police for criminological drug-related reasons. Implementation of the drug situation monitoring system envisages coordination and improvement of procedures for data selection which is registered by the Ministry of the Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

(²) Shirka: home-made opiate.

(³) Pervitin: made in illegal drug-producing laboratories stimulant.

(⁴) According to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the term ‘narcological register’ means that non-anonymous clients (due to their own request or the request of Police that is investigating the given person) have to be firstly medically diagnosed and then kept under dispensary observation in the territorial narcological institutions. The narcological register includes the part of clients with diagnosed addiction (those using drugs/alcohol systematically – ‘dispensary narcological register’) and the part of non-addicted clients using drug/alcohol episodically or at least once whilst being caught by police (‘prevention narcological register’). The minimal observation term for addicted clients with long remission and positive therapeutic results is determined for 5 years and 1 year for ‘episodical’ users. These 5 (or 1) year observation terms could be prolonged unlimitedly for those of registered patients who had relapses or those who did not contact with the narcological institutions accurately. The territorial narcological registers information could be used for professional needs by all over narcological institutions all over the country. According to the opinion of the majority of national experts, the narcological register data could be influenced by many external and internal factors; according to the same source, sometimes it is collected by non-accurate procedures. Consequently, the narcological register data might just partially reflect the whole drug problem and drug treatment picture in the country.

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Treatment demand

All treatment demand: According to data of the MoH, in 2007, the total number of all treated drug users (an indicator closest to the EMCDDA ‘All Treatment Demand’ was 59 643. Among them, 15 365 were treated in narcological inpatient facilities and 44 278 — in outpatient facilities. According to the analysis of the All-Ukrainian Narcological Association, only detoxification was provided to more than 92 % (2006) of those registered by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

In the course of creation of the drug monitoring system in Ukraine, it is planned to establish procedures for data collection, specifically, at the primary medical network, from non-governmental organisations etc., in compliance with the EMCDDA requirements (Pompidou Group protocol).

First treatment demand: number of drug users, who got narcological care at first time in their life during 2007 year was 5 177.00 (11.14 per 100 000 of population).

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Drug-related infectious diseases

HIV/AIDS: According to the data from the Ukrainian Center for HIV/AIDS Prevention, during the epidemic observation period (1987–2007) 122 314 cases of HIV infecting were registered in Ukraine: 22 424 had AIDS and 12 490 deaths resulted from AIDS. The highest figures of HIV incidence were registered in 2007 — 17 669 cases among the Ukrainian citizens, AIDS cases — 4 573, including 115 children below 14.
The transmission routes of known HIV cases were as follows: parenteral drug use — 40.1 %, sexual — 38.4 % (mainly heterosexual), from mother to child — 19.4 %, unknown — 2.1 %.

The prevalence HIV rate equals 174.9 per 100 000 of population (as of 1 January 2007 — 152.8 per 100 000 of population). In 8 944 HIV-infected persons, the disease has reached the stage of AIDS. The AIDS prevalence rate equals 19.1 per 100 000 of population (as of 1 January 2007 — 15.2 per 100 000 of population). The highest HIV prevalence rates are seen in Odes’ka (414.2 per 100 000 of population), Dnipropetrovs’ka (408.8 per 100 000 of population), Donets’ka (389.6 per 100 000 of population), Mykolayivs’ka (374.4 per 100 000 of population) oblasts, the city of Sevastopol (311.3 per 100 000 of population) and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (238.7 per 100 000 of population). The highest HIV incidence rates are also registered in these regions.

The number of HIV-infected persons revealed among pregnant women and potential donors continues to grow: respectively 3 633 persons (0.34 %) — among pregnant women and 1 138 persons (infection index — 1.13 %) — among donors (⁵).

Access to the ARV-therapy has increased in 2006–07. The ratio of HIV infected adults and children who passed antiretroviral therapy in 2006 was 27 % from the estimated number of HIV infected population (⁶), in 2007 it was 34 % in comparison with 21 % in 2005.

As for HIV/AIDS among injecting drug users, according to the Ukrainian AIDS Centre and the MoH data, since 1997 there has been an annual reduction in the percentage of parental transmissions in the course of injecting drug use, compared to all other forms of HIV transmission. In 1997 there was the greatest number of registered HIV-positive IDUs (7 497 cases; 83.6 %); in 2007 it was only 49.8 % (7 107 cases).

In 2007, 7 084 HIV-infected injecting drug users were registered, which is 49.8 % of the total number of officially registered HIV-infected citizens of Ukraine. By 31 December 2007, the number of IDUs in the total number of HIV-infected persons was 72 669 persons (68.38 per 100 000 of population).

According to the data of the seroepidemiological monitoring, 2 866 728 tests for presence of antibodies to HIV were conducted among the Ukrainian citizens in 2007. The number of positive results was 32 831. According to the sexual behaviour study only 15 % of IDUs used condoms regularly with constant sexual partners and 30 % of them never (or rarely) used condoms. 20 % of IDU female and 1.5 % of IDU male had sold sex (⁷).

Viral hepatitis C (HCV) incident registration practice has been put into effect in 2004. However, it covers only the cases of acute hepatitis C. Over the period of the HCV incident registration the number of reported cases rested stable: 2004 — 1 115, 2005 — 1 212, 2006 — 1 027 (recent available data).

Seroepidemiological research data conducted in 2007 shows the wide spread of the Hepatitis among the different type of the population. The highest figures of the hepatitis C registered among the IDU (60,1 %), HIV/AIDS-infected people (53,3 %), STI clinic’s clients (13,4 %) and among the multidisciplinary clinic’s clients (5,0 %) and medical staff (3,3 %).

(⁵) According to data of the ICF ‘International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Ukraine’, www.aidsalliance.kiev.ua

(⁶) An estimated number of HIV infected adults and children in Ukraine have been determine with help of ‘Spectrum’ programme on the ground of the State statistics form No 1 ‘HIV infected and AIDS treated report’ issued quarterly.

(⁷) The ‘Monitoring of Injecting Drug Users' Behaviour as a Component of the Second-Generation Epidemiological Surveillance’ study [23].

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Drug-related deaths

According to the State Committee of Ukraine for Statistics statistical data on drug-related deaths (2005), 249 persons (0.05 per 100 000 of population) were registered with the cause of death “Mental and behavioural disorders due to illegal substances use” After experts estimates the number of drug-related deaths exceeds 10 000 persons annually. At the same time, no information is available on procedures and methodologies used for these estimations.

Up to 2008 has been no accurate information available about drug-related deaths and mortality of drug users in Ukraine. The implementation of the data collection system is planned for 2008–09. After experts estimates, including the estimations of the experts of the All-Ukrainian Narcological Association, the existing data collection procedures does not match the methodological approaches of the EМСDDА and the ICD–10.

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Treatment responses

According to the data of the MoH, Ukraine has 47 territorial narcological institutions (25 of them on ‘oblast’ level) and 5 narcological hospitals.

Altogether, 6 081 narcological inpatient beds are available: 4 225 in narcological institutions and 1 476 inpatient treatment slots in mental health care hospitals, 230 in city clinics (including 152 at central district and district clinics). Narcological institutions and teenagers narcological cabinets get treatment free for patients as distinct from self-financing and anonymous treatment facilities.

Almost all rural district medical hospitals have separated narcological outpatient facilities with the specialised medical doctor (narcologist), providing mostly detoxification treatment programs for drug addicts (851 ambulatory facilities all over the country). The Ministry of Health of Ukraine stated that there were 27 special outpatient facilities for teenagers (aged 15–17) — ‘narcological cabinets’ — in the country in 2007. The MoH of Ukraine were unable to provide information about specific treatment programmes for teenagers used by these facilities but according to the information of local experts, these facilities provided detoxification programmes for very small numbers of clients.

According to the information from the Ministry of Ukraine of Family, Youth and Sports, 124 drug rehabilitation centres are operating in Ukraine. Among them there are state 45 centres for resocialisation of young drug addicts ‘Tvoya Peremoha’ (Your Victory) [16]. Over 2007, 4 633 people applied to the centres; 1 633 persons were admitted to the programme, and 821 persons completed their resocialisation course. 

By 1 January 2008, over 653 persons were passing the different phases of rehabilitation courses at these centres.

Substance Abuse Treatment (according to the information of The All-Ukrainian Narcological Association):

• Inpatient detoxification — in all narcological and some mental health care institutions;
• Outpatient detoxification — in all narcological institutions and rural outpatient facilities;
• Physician counselling — the same as above;
• Buprenorphine substitution therapy — 27 facilities in 14 oblasts;
• Residential rehabilitation — no more than 50 centres;
• Therapeutic communities — no more then 20 centres;
• Faith/religious-based treatment — no more then 40 centres;

Substitution Therapy Programmes: Substitution supporting therapy is being introduced in Ukraine within process of implementation of orders of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine [22]. Its principal goal has been defined as expansion of access of HIV-positive injecting drug users to antiretroviral treatment. Substitution therapy programmes use the ‘Ednok’ preparation (Indian produced sublingual hydrochloride of buprenorphine). By 31 December 2008, 2 504 patients were treated in ST programmes including 864 clients on the buprenorphine and 1 640 on the methadone. Among them were 2 007 men and 497 women. Their average age was 34.9 years with the average drug use time — 14.4 years. In the service were 1 203 HIV/AIDS clients, 1 312 clients with hepatitis В or С, 399 persons had tuberculosis; 276 persons got the antiretroviral therapy simultaneously, 148 clients more were preparing to the ART. The average ST dose was 11.07 mg of buprenorphine and 71.6 mg of methadone. Over the entire period, 442 persons left the programme.

By 1 July 2009, 4 131 clients were treated in the mentioned programmes. There are 836 clients in the buprenorphine and 3 295 in the methadone programmes. Among them were 3 318 men and 813 women. Their average age was 33.8 years, the average drug use time — 15.3 years. In the service were 1 918 HIV/AIDS clients, 2 133 clients with hepatitis В or С, 603 persons had tuberculosis; 392 persons got the antiretroviral therapy simultaneously, 229 clients more were preparing to the ART. The average ST dose was 10.6 mg of the buprenorphine and 79.9 mg of the methadone. Over the entire period, 442 persons left the programme.

All medical, psychological and social rehabilitation programs of treatment for drug addiction are included in the Temporary standards of in-patient medical practice [20], approved in 1998, and normatives of outpatient medical practice [21], approved in 2002. These standards and rates include various methods of detoxification, substitution therapy, emergency aid, and mental rehabilitation programs (12 steps and others) mandatory for narcologists all over the country. Narcological practice protocols were developed by the MoH of Ukraine in 2005–06 and are currently under approval.

According to experts, narcologists do not always adhere to the above-mentioned standards and protocols in their daily practice.

The Ministry of Ukraine of Family, Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the State Institute for Family and Youth Issues developed Methodological recommendations on matters of organisation and functioning of drug users’ resocialisation centres.

For the first time in Ukraine, a working group of experts within the system of Ministry of Ukraine of Family, Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine completed developing of the Branch standards for providing of social services to users of psychoactive substances, including injecting drug users, their immediate environment, and accreditation requirements for their implementation.

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Harm reduction responses

The methodology for harm reduction data collection is planned to be developed as a constituent part of the national drugs and alcohol monitoring system in 2008–10.

In accordance with the Committee for Risk Behaviour Groups under the National HIV/AIDS Coordinative Council, the first harm-reduction NGO’s activities started in Ukraine from 1996. To the end of 2007, The Ministry of Ukraine of Family, Youth and Sports informs about 217 units for injecting drug users operating in all 27 regions of Ukraine (⁸) with 39 611 IDUs and 10 924 important ones using the service. More detailed data about the structure and character of these services are not available. On the basis of the mentioned above units, 190 peer support groups for IDUs, the NA groups, joined 1 567 clients. There existed 111 Al-Anon groups there.

According to the same information source, 443 660 syringes were distributed, 540 716 syringes were collected for recycling among IDUs in 2007.

(⁸) Service of work with injecting drug users, by definition of the Ministry of Ukraine for Family, Youth and Sports, is a specialised unit to provide services to injecting drug users and their families.

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Drug markets and drug-related offences

Procedures for data collection by the EMCDDA indicator Drug Markets and Drug-Related Offences are planned to be implemented in 2008 to 2009.

Table 2: Drug seizures (Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine)

256 illegal drug-producing laboratories were disclosed.

Table 3: Average price of seized drugs in 2007 (According to analytical data of Drug Enforcement Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine)

According to information by the Ministry of the Internal Affairs of Ukraine, in 2007 the number of crimes connected with drugs was 63 800, out of 401 300 of all crimes committed (64 700 out of 420 900 in 2006). The share of drug-related crimes in the total number of crimes committed remained practically stable in 2003 through 2007, with a slight downward trend.

36 100 drug-possession crimes (Article 309 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) without intention to sell (i.e., possession for personal use) were registered in 2007, which made up over 50 % of the entire number of drug-related crimes (63 900). In 2006, there were registered 35 500 out of 64 700 of total drug-related crimes).

According to data by the Supreme Court of Ukraine, in 2006, 31 800 persons were convicted for committing drug-related crimes (32 300 in 2005), out of 161 000 persons convicted for committing other types of crimes (176 900 in 2005). Noticeable is a growth in the share of persons convicted for committing drug-related crimes in the total number of those convicted.

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National drug laws

The new Law of Ukraine 22.12.06 No.530-V envisaged the right for legal entities of all kinds to be licensed to work with narcotic and psychotropic substances and precursors [7]. 

Ukraine is a signatory of all UN Drug Conventions (of 1961, 1971, and 1988) all three Conventions were ratified by the Ukrainian Parliament (Verkhovna Rada). In 1995 new drug laws regulating mostly the circulation of legal drugs and law enforcement issues were adopted [4, 5]. Special points concerning the licensing of drug-related legal activities are included in the Law of Ukraine [6] and Six Decrees of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine [9-14].

Ukrainian legislation divides all drug related offences into two groups: crimes and administrative delicts [1-2]. The difference between those two types of offences lies in the level of their social danger. Crime is more socially dangerous act. The Law foresees imprisonment and confinement for the drug crimes; for the administrative delict — monetary fine, public works and rarely administrative arrest.

The Criminal code of Ukraine envisages 16 corpus delicti (type of crime) for illegal activity in relation with the drugs and precursors. The punishment depends on the type of crime and its gravity. For example, for a simple possession may be imposed imprisonment up to 3 years, for illegal drug manufacturing, production, transportation, possession, purchasing with intent of supply — imprisonment from 3 to 12 years, drug smuggling — from 3 to 12 years.

Penalization of drug use: According to the Criminal Code of Ukraine only public illegal drug use is punishable. The term of the imprisonment for this could be specified up to 5 years. The term of the imprisonment for illegal drugs possession is determined from 3 to 8 years depending on the level of the crime.

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National drug strategy

Currently, the Concept of implementation of the state policy in the sphere of illegal trade of narcotic substance, psychotropic substance and precursors for 2002–10 and the proper National Program are in charge in Ukraine [18]. In 2001 and 2006, the alternative draft of the National Drug and Alcohol Policy Concept and the draft of the Basic Drugs and Alcohol Law were elaborated by the Verkhovna Rada. Neither of them was adopted because of the different reasons. The issues of harm reduction and coherence with the HIV/AIDS are the parts of current National Concept of HIV/AIDS Strategy and 4th National HIV/AIDS Program adopted in 2004 [17]. These documents created the basis for the substitution therapy in the country, syringe exchanges and supported the client NGOs activities.

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Coordination mechanism in the field of drugs

Established by the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the National Coordination Council for the Fight Against Drugs [7] is headed by the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. Now the Council includes 35 members and among them the first deputy ministers from the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the vice-heads of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the State Committee for TV and Radio, deputy ministers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Industrial Policy, and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and a few leading national drug policy experts and NGO representatives. No session of this Council was held in 2007, and the only 2008 session was held in November.

The issues of harm reduction and some other directions of drug policy and drug oriented activities in the country became the part of decisions of the National HIV/AIDS Coordinative Mechanism created by the Decree of the President of Ukraine [3].

In 2007, the coordination of drug-oriented activities on the ministerial and inter-ministerial level was led by the package of ministerial and inter-ministerial documents (orders, instructions, guidelines etc.) and the regulations of the National HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and narcomania Committee and National Drug Control Committee of the MoH of Ukraine as well.

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References

[1] Criminal Code of Ukraine. With changes and amendments.

[2] The Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offences. With changes and amendments.

[3] Decree by the President of Ukraine No 1208/2007, 12.12.2007 ‘Про додаткові невідкладні заходи щодо протидії ВІЛ-інфекції/СНІДу в Україні’.

[4] Law of Ukraine No 60/95-ВР, 15.02.1995 ‘On trade in narcotic substances, psychotropic substances, their analogues and precursors in Ukraine’.

[5] Law of Ukraine No 62/95-ВР, 15.02.1995 ‘On measures to counteract illegal trade in narcotic substances, precursors, and their abuse’.

[6] Law of Ukraine No 1775-ІІІ (extract), 01.06.2000 ‘On licensing of certain types of economic activities’.

[7] Law of Ukraine No 530-V, 22.12.06 About bringing of changes in Law of Ukraine ‘On trade in narcotic substances, psychotropic substances, their analogues and precursors in Ukraine.

[8] Decree by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No 343, 13.05.1993 ‘On the National Coordination Council for Struggle Against Drugs’ under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

[9] Decree by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, No 6, 03.01.1996 ‘On approval of the provisions on the procedures for conducting activities in the sphere of trade in narcotic substances, psychotropic substances and precursors’. 

[10] Decree by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No 146, 03.02.1997 ‘On approval of the procedures for issuance of certificates for import into Ukraine and export from Ukraine of narcotic substances, psychotropic substances and precursors’.

[11] Decree by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No 786, 10.05.1999 ‘On approval of the list of narcotic substances, psychotropic substances and precursors, trade in which is subject to licensing’.

[12] Decree by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No 698, 14.11.2000 ‘On approval of the list of licensing authorities’.

[13] Decree by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No 106, 07.07.2001 ‘On approval of the procedures for implementation of activities connected with trade in narcotic substances, psychotropic substances and precursors at treatment and prevention institutions and organisations’.

[14] Decree by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No 756 (extract), 02.04.2001 ‘On approval of the list of documents to accompany applications for issuance of licenses for an individual type of economic activities’.

[15] Decree by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No 960, 08.09.2001 ‘On approval of measures to implement the concept of health protection of the Ukrainian population’.

[16] Decree by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No 809, 13.06.2002 ‘On development of the network of young drug addicts resocialisation centres ‘Tvoya Peremoha’.

[17] Decree by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No 264, 4.03.2004.

[18] Order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No 26-R, 24.01.2002 ‘On the Concept of implementation of the state policy in the sphere of illegal trade of narcotic substances, psychotropic substances and precursors for years 2002 to 2010’.

[19] Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No 297, 10.08.1998 ‘On transition of health-protection bodies and institutions in Ukraine to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health-Protection Issues of the Tenth Revision’.

[20] Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No 226, 27.07.1998 ‘The adoption of the temporary standards of inpatient medical practice’.

[21] Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No 507, 28.12.2002 ‘About the adoption of the normatives of outpatient medical practice’.

[22] Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No 161, 13.04.2005 ‘On development and improvement of substitution therapy for HIV/AIDS prevention among drug users’.

[23] Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No 846, 20.12.2006 ‘On measures to organise HIV/AIDS prevention and substitution therapy for injecting drug users’.

[24] Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No 704, 13.11.2007.

[25] Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No 14, 16.01.2008.

[26] O. Balakireva, R.O. Artyukh, L.V. Bochkova, Yu. P. Galych, Yu. M. et al. (2005), ‘Monitoring of injecting drug users' behaviour as a component of the second-generation epidemiological surveillance’, Kyiv: ICF ‘International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Ukraine’, 68 pp.

[27] O. Balakireva, O. Yaremenko, O. Artyukh, P. Duplenko, T. Bodnar, M. Ryabova (2003), ‘Dynamics of spreading of tobacco smoking, and alcohol and drug consumption among school students in Ukraine: years 1995, 1999 and 2003’; the State Institute of Youth and Family Issues, the Ukrainian Institute of Social Research; Kyiv, pp. 51–61.

[28] Health and behavioural orientation of school students: Monograph/ O. Balakireva, N. Ryngach, R. Levin et al. / K., the Yaremenko Ukrainian Institute of Social Research, 2007, 128 pp.

[29] EMCDDA (2001), ‘Evaluating the treatment of drug use, risk behaviour and qualitative research in the time of AIDS’, European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, p. 125.

[30] Rhodes, T. at al. (2001), Injecting drug use, risk behaviour and qualitative research in the time of AIDS, European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, p. 125.

[31] EMCDDA (2000), Understanding and responding to drug use: the role of qualitative research, Scientific Monograph Series No 4, European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, p. 350.

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