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The President said nationwide drug addiction amounted to a disaster of great proportions. Mr Putin said all previous efforts aimed at fighting drug addiction were ineffective and ordered the Government to draft new proposals that could improve the situation.

Deputy Prime Minister Valentina Matviyenko and Internal Affairs Minister Boris Gryzlov cited horrendous statistics. National security agencies estimate the number of drug addicts at nearly 2 million, with young people under 30 accounting for 72% of the total number.

Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Alexander Voloshin, First Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Ulyukayev, Deputy Health Minister Tatyana Stukolova, First Deputy Director of the Federal Security Service Vladimir Pronichev, and First Deputy Security Council Secretary Vladislav Shershtyuk attended the conference.