Kazakhstan

Capital:               Astana
Population:         16,4 Mio              
BIP per capita:     $ 7065    

Drug situation in Kazakhstan
Drug addiction continues to increase in Kazakhstan from year to year; 51 366 narcotic drug users were registered as of 2010. This spread of drug addiction poses a threat to the socioeconomic development of Kazakhstan.

The problem of drug dependence is related to several socio-economic and socio-psychological factors and the threat of the Afghan opiate expansion. Up to 15% of narcotic drugs produced in Afghanistan transit through the countries of Central Asia and Kazakhstan to Russia and further on to Europe The second factor affecting the drug situation in Kazakhstan is the availability of huge areas used for the cultivation of drug-containing substances. Cannabis growing areas alone account for approximately 140 thousand hectares.(see Republic of Kazakhstan Drug Profile Annual Report 2008  for details)

 No special study on the prevalence of social problems related to drug use has been conducted to date in Kazakhstan, but the majority of registered and treated drug users, mainly heroin users, have psychic and behavioural disorders either caused by drug use or having led to drug use. 84% thereof had secondary and secondary vocational education, 78% were unemployed. The reason for starting with drug use was ‘curiosity’ (68%) or group pressure (17%).

Drug injection is associated with a high risk of contracting viral infections such as HIV or Hepatitis. HIV prevalence is still low at 4,2%, yet 61% of these HIV infections are caused by drug injection. Hepatitis C prevalence also remains low at 8,7%.

CADAP 5 in Kazakhstan 
The CADAP 5 Programme was launched in Kazakhstan starting from April 2010 with the implementation of a series of events.
To further implement the strategy of CADAP and enhance the anti-drug effort the following events have been planned (and in certain cases already conducted) for 2011:

• Workshop on launching a publication in an international peer reviewed journal about treatment results in Pavlodar
• Seminar on evaluation techniques with a special focus on OST;
• Booster rehabilitation in female prisons in Kazakhstan
• Study tours to Germany on drug addiction treatment based on the needs of the local community and specialists working on drug addiction treatment in correctional institutions
• High-level Dialogue meeting on the implementation of the EU and Central Asia Drug Action Plan 2009-2013 under the Hungarian Presidency in Brussels
• Study tour to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) in Lisbon; internship of national experts in EMCDDA
• National workshop on study planning of HCV among the drug user
• National workshop on best practices in withdrawal syndrome therapy and medical rehabilitation of drug users.

Related Documents

Country overview Kazakhstan developed in the framework of the DAMOS Component.

Country overview Kazakhstan english / russian

Republic of Kazakhstan Drug profile in 2008
Annual Report 2008

Республика Казахстан Наркоситуация в 2008 году
Annual Report

National Conference of the Narcologists in Pavlodar
Report

Kazakhstan GIZ Office Kazakhstan Astana Tower Business Center Samal, 12 010000 Astana Kazakhstan		National Coordinator Artyom Kortschagin T +7 7172 580927 F +7 7172 580310 artjom.kortschagin@giz.de
		Administrative Support Natalja Sarussinskaja T +7 7172 58 09 19 T +7 7172 58 04 58 (direct) M +7 777 533 47 24 Natalja.Sarussinskaja@giz.de

  Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Kazakhstan