The youngest drug user in North Macedonia is under the age of 6. The worrying data was published by the Office of the Ombudsman in North Macedonia after analyses were conducted.
According to police data for 2023 and the first half of 2024, around 130 child drug users, mainly marijuana and amphetamines, have been identified, writes A2 CNN.
"According to the data we have received from all 8 sectors of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, they have undoubtedly identified child drug users. In 2023 there were 85 in total and in June 2024 there were 45 new cases, so 130 child drug users have been identified in the internal affairs sectors. The most common types of drugs they use are marijuana and amphetamines, while less often ecstasy and heroin. The data that there were children under the age of 6 is worrying," said the spokesperson for the People's Advocate, Vaska Bajramovska Mustafa, according to A2 CNN.
According to the Ombudsman, the majority of children are of Macedonian and Albanian ethnicity, while smaller numbers are of Roma, Turkish and Serbian ethnicity.
She emphasizes that Macedonian institutions do not have sufficient capacities for prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of these children, as specialized structures are lacking and inter-institutional cooperation is weak.
Under these conditions, the Ombudsman calls for the creation of a national program for treatment and improvement of the legal framework to address this growing problem. (A2 Televizion)
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