Abstract
In Georgia rapid economic, political, and social changes since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and relaxation of state control have been accompanied by the scale of the illicit drug market. Drug use has become a serious public health and social issue. Heroine and buprenorphine injection epidemics of late 1990s–early 2000s were followed by the widespread abuse of home-produced injection preparations. Switching to new drugs in many instances was associated with increased risk of blood-borne infections and additional harms, such as serious neurological and psychiatric complications. Restrictive drug policy and limiting access to particular drugs were seen as solutions to country’s drug problem. In addition, the system of addiction treatment was largely unprepared to provide adequate response to the changing drug use trends and often failed to meet the needs of the patients. Health-care providers might often need to engage in policy dialogue and advocate for relevant systemic reforms in order to ensure that policies, program planning, and resource allocations are meaningful, adequate, and responsive to the ever-changing needs of people affected by substance use and dependence.
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Kirtadze, I., Otiashvili, D. (2015). Changing Patterns of Drug Use in Georgia: A Case Vignette. In: el-Guebaly, N., Carrà, G., Galanter, M. (eds) Textbook of Addiction Treatment: International Perspectives. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-5322-9_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-5322-9_9
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