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Presently, the Russian government is considering passing a bill that would require all child drug addicts to get into treatment.

The bill would require all children under the age of 16 to attend treatment after going through a judicial procedure. Parents’ consent would be required for those legally living with parents but for all other children, who are orphans and whose parents are out of the picture, treatment would be determined by school administrators.

In the country of Russia, this is a very controversial topic that has human rights activists in an uproar and specialists in the drug treatment field skeptical. According to the Federal Drug Control Service of Russia, between 80,000 and 100,000 people die annually in the country from overdoses and problems related to the use of dangerous drugs. Most are under the age of 30.

At least 1.8 million Russians (more than 1 percent of the country’s 143 million citizens) are officially listed as drug addicts by the organization. Experts say the real figure could be many times that. A further 6 million are said to have had experience using these drugs, and 15 million Russians admitted having tried them at least once.

Currently in the United States, there are over 20 million people suffering through drug and/or alcohol addiction and rehabilitation is usually not a requirement unless the individual is court ordered into treatment. This covers a very small percentage of drug addicts. Some make the decision to get help on their own while others are given ultimatums by loved ones’ or family members. A large percent of those addicted to drugs never make the decision to get help and end up in prison, or worse.

Should the United States require all drug addicts to get into treatment? Should there be a bill in our country that even requires minors (with parents consent) to get help if they are addicted?

Article by Eric

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