Yevgeny Roizman met in Irkutsk with the public and journalists, presenting his book City Without Drugs and speaking about the work of the foundation of the same name. He explained how synthetic drugs like spice and bath salts change the situation and why usual methods of fighting and rehabilitation no longer always work. Roizman also noted that the main target of dealers is schoolchildren and students, so parents and schools need to be especially attentive.

The Mayor of Yekaterinburg and president of the “City Without Drugs” foundation met with the public and journalists in Irkutsk. During the visit, Yevgeny Roizman presented Irkutsk residents with his book “City Without Drugs” and introduced activists from the Irkutsk and Angarsk foundations of the same name.
The “City Without Drugs” foundation appeared in Yekaterinburg in 1999 to help drug addicts and fight drug dealers. The foundation organized a rehabilitation center for drug addicts and a hotline where information about drug trafficking can be reported. In 2011, the foundation’s methods began to be applied nationwide (the “Country Without Drugs” project), and branches of the foundation are opening in different cities. In 2005, a branch of the foundation appeared in Angarsk and quite recently – in Irkutsk.
Yevgeny Roizman noted that due to the emergence of synthetic cannabinoids (“spice,” “jivik,” “salt”), the situation with drug distribution has changed and all familiar working schemes require revision. If a heroin addict can be “pulled out” by cleansing the blood, then rehabilitation of drug addicts after “spice” and “jivik” has any effect only by the fourth month, and sometimes turns out to be completely useless.
During the use of these drugs, the kidneys fail, seizures occur, and epilepsy worsens. This type of drug causes hallucinations and is the most common cause of teenage suicides. And to top it all off, in the Irkutsk Region there is only one device for detecting the presence of exactly these substances in biological fluids – and it is located in the Angarsk “City Without Drugs” foundation.
Yevgeny Roizman noted that the target audience of sellers of this type of drug is schoolchildren and students. For full control of the situation, it is necessary at least twice a year, without prior warning, to test high school students for the presence of drugs in biological fluids and, if a drug addict is found in a class, isolate him, since he poses a danger to other children.
“In fact, trouble can be caught at the threshold,” Yevgeny Roizman noted. “To do this, one needs to be resourceful and eavesdrop on the child’s conversations with friends — buddies. The seemingly harmless words ‘book,’ ‘salt,’ ‘cherry,’ ‘chocolate’ or ‘speed’ do not always mean that the teenager has suddenly developed a passion for cooking or is rushing to the library. I would advise parents to pay closer attention to their children more often. A teenager hooked on drugs constantly runs to the kettle: he is tormented by thirst and a cough that can easily be mistaken for bronchitis or a cold. In fact, this potion causes dryness in the mouth and throat. In addition, the poor fellow is struck by bouts of laughter for no reason, and his reactions and speech slow down. And the classic signs of a drug addict are cloudy eyes, nervousness, and pallor.”
Based on materials from the press service of the Irkutsk city administration.