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Moscow school, university students to be tested for drug abuse

This work will be funded from the city budget on the systematic basis

MOSCOW, February 13 (Itar-Tass) – Moscow’s school and university students will be systematically tested for drugs at the expense of the city’s budget, as follows from amendments to the local law on the prevention of drug addiction and illegal drug taking and psychotropic substances in Moscow the State Duma adopted on Wednesday.

As the chairman of the State Duma’s medical and public health commission, Lyudmila Stebenkova, said, the testing will be voluntary.

“Those over fifteen years of age will be tested with their own consent, and persons under that age – with the consent of their parents,” Stebenkova said. The results of the testing will be known only to the parents and the doctor.

In her opinion, the possibility of being tested for drug abuse will help many teenagers and young people resist the temptation to take drugs.

In case traces of drug-taking have been identified an interview with the doctor and psychoanalyst would help prevent the ill from developing.

Several pilot drug test projects were held in Moscow before, Stebenkova said. However, after the adoption of amendments to that law this work will be funded from the city budget on the systematic basis.