International Anti-Drug 2002 forum in St.Petersburg

On November 19-21, St.Petersburg will host the first international specialized forum "Inter-departmental Ways of Counteracting Drug Addiction in the North-West federal district "Anti-drug 2002".

The forum is organized by the staff of the Russian President's plenipotentiary in the North-Western federal district, the St.Petersburg University of the Russian Interior Ministry and by the Health Ministry's delegation to the district, the press service of the university reported.

The forum will discuss the issues of drug addiction spread in North-Western Russia, ways of organising work of law-enforcement bodies to fight against illegal drug trade and the influence of immigration processes on this trade. It will also touch upon the structure of the anti-drug services market, inter-departmental interaction in combating non-medical use of drugs and their illegal trade in the regions.

The forum will hold an exhibition called "Methods and Means for Preventing Drug Addiction at All Levels". It will show films about drug addiction from the programme of the international festival of documentary, short, feature and animated films "Message to Man". On the forum's last day, the Russian Health Ministry will organise a field trip to demonstrate the films to St.Petersburg senior schoolchildren and students of the police and international relations institutes.