President Gargždais: drugs must be difficult to access, and preferably not available at all

On Tuesday, the President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda, continuing the cycle of working days in the regions, worked with the team in Klaipėda district.

In a meeting with Klaipėda District Municipality Mayor Bronius Markauskas, the President discussed the decentralization of street management in cities and towns, pre-school education in the demographically growing Klaipėda district, education quality issues, inclusive education, the order of state investments in the regions, the transformation of health care institutions, the modernization of public buildings, the development of tourism infrastructure in the district .

The head of the country took part in a meeting in Gargždai on reducing the use of electronic cigarettes and psychoactive substances among young people. Klaipėda district is one of the three municipalities (together with the municipalities of Alytus and Vilnius city) participating in the pilot project, which aims to prevent the use of psychoactive substances by students.

The President noted that after he called the responsible institutions last year to discuss the poor situation regarding the spread of psychoactive substances among the youth, there have been changes in a positive direction. Changes to the laws were passed in the Seimas, prohibiting electronic cigarettes and refills with added smell or taste, a telephone line was opened for reporting drug distribution, the National Stop Smoking Hotline 1819 became operational, and more prevention programs are being implemented.

The head of the country pointed out that it is necessary to strategically coordinate various preventive programs on a national scale, measure and evaluate their effectiveness. In the head of the country’s opinion, measures to prevent drug use that reduce demand are very important, but at the same time, it is necessary to more actively reduce the supply of drugs.

“The scourge of drugs leads to tragedies, because of it young people’s lives fall apart, their plans and dreams fail. There is no single magic remedy to overcome this evil. We must encourage schools to develop self-aware individuals who resist herd sentiment. At the same time, we have a reasonable ratio to take preventive measures and stricter punishments for the distribution of quackery. Drugs must simply be difficult to access, and preferably not available at all,” said the head of the country.

At the meeting, the President presented his legislative initiative, which aims to tighten economic sanctions and administrative penalties for violations of the circulation of conventional tobacco products and electronic cigarettes, especially when they are related to the involvement of minors.

The meeting was attended by Klaipėda District Mayor Bronius Markauskas, Vice Mayor Vytautas Butkus, Director of the Drug, Tobacco and Alcohol Control Department Rita Sketerskienė, Klaipėda District Public Health Office Director Dalia Petrikienė, Office Youth Friendly Health Care Services Coordinator Greta Račkauskaitė, Gargždų “Kranto” Pro-Gymnasium Director Vilija Lukauskienė , Chief of Klaipėda District Police Commissariat Ramūnas Stasiulis, representative of the presidency of “Rainbow” Gymnasium Benediktas Motuzas, representatives of the Gargždai Open Youth Center and the Municipal Youth Affairs Council Aidas Kryževičius, Ieva Dobravalskytė, psychologist Valdonė Gedminė, Agnė Zabrynaitė, Inesa Greivienė, Ovidijus Oželis.

Later, at the Priekulė Ieva Simonaitytė gymnasium, the head of state participated in a discussion with senior students on the topic of citizenship.

At the end of the working day in the Klaipėda district, the President and the first lady traditionally met with the local community.

Press information of the Office of the President of the Republic of Lithuania