Addiction services in Georgian prisons

David Otiashvili, M.D.Addiction Research Center

Alternative Georgia

MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION IN PRISONS Bucharest, 27 Feb 2013

Brief information on Georgia

Indicator Info for 2011

Surface area 69.700 sq km

Population 4.497.6 m

GDP per capita in PPS

2549.09 euro

Unemployment rate 15.1%

Prison Population Rate (per 100.000)

524

Drug use

• General population

No data

• Problem drug use40,000 (95% CI: 39,000-41,000)

prevalence 1,5% among 15-64 years old

• Drugs injectedshift from traditional opium, heroine and

buprenorphine to home-made ATS (“vint”, “jef”) and opioids (desomorphine, “krokodile”)

New HIV cases, 1990-2011

Drug treatment

Drug legislation

• Drug use (trace of controlled substance in urine) is punishable under the Administrative Code

• Repeated drug use is punishable under the Criminal Code (up to 1 year imprisonment)

• Possession of ANY amount of drugs, regardless of purpose, is punishable under the Criminal Code

• Tables of quantities of drugs (any amount of amphetamine – 7 to 14 years)

6

Prison population

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 20110

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

Drug related imprisonment

• December 2012 – more than 2,000 prisoners for drug related offences

• Majority release following the amnesty

Drug use in prisons

• No drug use (!?)

• Use of prescription psychotropic drugs common

Addiction services in prisons

• Short term methadone treatment (detox) in 2 prisons (Tbilisi and Kutaisi)

• VCT in all prisons• Condom distribution

Plans for the near future:• Detox in women’s prison• Treatment and rehabilitation in separate institution

Thank you

dato@altgeorgia.ge datohupo@yahoo.com