| ■ Injecting drug use declining in Europe: monitoring body | 2010.06.25 |
| The use of intravenous drugs has decreased in most European countries although Bulgaria and Slovakia bucked the trend, according to a report published Thursday by a Lisbon-based monitoring body. Data shows "that injecting drug use is declining in many countries, as are rates of new HIV infections among drug users," said European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction chief Wolfgang Gotz. The centre added in a statement that there was a "statistically significant" decline between 2002 and 2007 among heroin users entering treatment for the first time in 10 countries. "Only two countries, Bulgaria and Slovakia, bucked the trend with statistically significant increases," it said in the report released ahead of the June 26 International Day Against Drug Abuse. |