Radio România Internațional

Tag: drugs

  • February 23, 2019

    February 23, 2019

    DIPLOMACY The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, has talks today with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, on the sidelines of the EU – League of Arab States summit to be held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. The 2 officials will look at the bilateral relations and discuss concrete means to encourage and deepen the cooperation between the 2 countries, in all areas of mutual interest, particularly in the economy. According to a news release issued by the Presidency, the consultations will also be a good opportunity to discuss common priorities, in light of Romanias holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU and of Egypts holding the presidency of the African Union. At the summit in Egypt scheduled on Sunday and Monday, Klaus Iohannis will give an address presenting Romanias views on the cooperation between EU member states and the Arab League countries in view of finding common solutions to current, as well as medium and long term future challenges.




    PES The Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă had a meeting today with the PM of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, on the sidelines of the congress of the PES in Madrid. The 2 officials expressed their satisfaction with the excellent bilateral relationship, confirmed by the Strategic Partnership, and with the dynamics of bilateral sectorial dialogue. They also discussed the 2 countries cooperation within the EU, given that Romania and Spain have similar views on major topics for the future of the Union, such as the post-2020 financial framework, the cohesion policy, the internal market, justice and home affairs, the Neighbourhood Policy and the EU enlargement. On Friday the Romanian PM had talks with her counterpart from Malta, Joseph Muscat, and with the Portuguese PM, Antonio Costa.




    PROTESTS Magistrates in Bucharest and several other Romanian cities protested on Friday in front of court buildings against new changes introduced to the justice laws. They also decided to suspend work for a week, as of Monday. Prosecutors and judges say that Ordinance 7, passed by the Government early this week, may lead to institutional deadlock and affect their independence. One of the provisions that angered the magistrates says that judges having previously worked as prosecutors may be appointed as chief prosecutors, and waives the seniority criterion. The emergency decree has been criticised both in Brussels, by the European Commission, and in Romania, by magistrate associations, the prosecutors division in the Higher Council of Magistracy and by the right-of-centre Opposition.




    DRUGS Romanian police jointly with German authorities dismantled a crime group that distributed large amounts of illegal drugs, particularly in Bucharest night clubs. During the operation, which took place last year, the authorities seized 11 kilos of high-risk drugs, 800 euro and 2 vehicles. Five individuals were arrested. The operation was based on intelligence received from German authorities, which found and seized a package containing over 3 kilos of high-risk drugs, during a routine check on a coach traveling from Rotterdam to Bucharest. Romanian police say the amount had been sent to a crime group distributing large amounts of drugs in Bucharest.




    WEATHER Romania struggles with exceptionally cold weather, particularly in the north and centre of the country. A code yellow alert for strong wind is in place across the country, except for a few counties in the south-west and the north. On Friday night authorities temporarily suspended navigation in all ports at the Black Sea, and railway traffic was also disrupted. The strong wind brought down tens of trees in the capital Bucharest on Friday night.




    MOLDOVA In the Republic of Moldova, the election campaign for Parliament continues. The recently modified election legislation scrapped the so-called reflection day, so candidates may campaign on the very day of the election as well. For the first time, a mixed voting system will be used, with 50 MPs elected on party lists and another 51 in a single-choice system, in one voting round. Polls indicate President Igor Dodons pro-Russian Socialist party is ahead, with nearly 40% of voter intentions, followed by a pro-European right-of-centre election cartel called ACUM, with 25%, and the pro-Western Democratic Party with 15%. A referendum is also held at the same time, concerning the reduction of the number of MPs from 101 to 61 and the possibility to have them removed from office by citizens.




    SPORTS The Romanian womens handball team CSM Bucharest plays today at home against the Hungarian side Gyor, in a game counting towards the Champions League main group stage. Also today, Dinamo Bucharest plays Sporting Lisabon away from home, in the first qualifying round for the 8th-finals of the mens version of the same competition.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Programmes aimed at preventing drug abuse

    Programmes aimed at preventing drug abuse

    In January, the
    agency launched a number of prevention projects, to be implemented across the
    country.




    According to
    statistics, as regards most of the categories of drugs, Romania is under the
    European average, but an increase in consumption has been reported in all age
    brackets. Data provided by the agency show that the most used are inhalants,
    cannabis and drugs that have psychoactive effects.






    Using drugs from
    a tender age affects the development of the central nervous system, and of the
    body in general, explained on Radio Romania the physician Bogdan Gheorghe, who
    talked about the effects of drug abuse, including drugs manufactured in
    laboratories






    Bogdan Gheorghe:
    The effects of drug abuse turn the
    person that takes them into a zombie-like creature. It renders a state of somnolence, with
    uncontrolled movements, caused by the changes brought to the so-called
    ethno-botanicals. These are chemical substances produced in labs, controlled,
    so dealers change their chemical structure in order to create a new substance,
    that produce the effects of traditional drugs, because that was the starting
    point; the idea is for them not to be identified as drugs.






    Doctor Bogdan
    explains that cannabis consumption can affect the user’s health and psyche as
    well as their social-integration skills. Drugs can be classified into several
    categories: drugs that inhibit the activity of the central nervous system, such
    as heroine, stimulants, like cocaine, and drugs that are disruptive, such as
    cannabis.






    Cannabis, for
    instance, can cause heart and respiratory diseases and can also affect the nervous
    system. Also, cannabis alters the ability to drive a vehicle, as it diminishes
    reflexes and hampers coordination. In order to prevent early use of drugs, the
    NADA runs in kindergartens and schools information campaigns, in language
    accessible to children and young adults.






    They run
    programs such as ‘My Anti-drug Message’, aimed at gymnasium and high school
    students, ‘How to Grow Up Healthy’, for kindergarten pupils, and ‘The ABC of
    Emotions’, for 1st and 2nd grade pupils, and this is just
    the beginning. Diana Serban, psychologist with the agency, said, quote:
    ‘Teenagers have access to information, the role of the expert and of the
    teacher is to be fair play towards their audience, in the sense that they
    provide correct information about the short, medium, and long term effects, so
    that the teenager is given the possibility to make an informed decision. We can
    provide correct information, alongside programs that aim to create healthy
    lifestyles, and the ability to cope with potential crisis situations that may
    generate drug consumption.






    This is
    precisely the role of the projects we promote – to develop in every age
    category coping and protection mechanisms’, unquote. We asked Diana Serban
    which age category is the most at risk.






    Diana Serban: From the general population study, meaning
    15 to 64, we find that the most at risk bracket is that of 15-24, meaning
    teenagers and young adults. Also, we have the results of a legacy study in
    European member and non-member states among the 16 year-old school population
    which indicates an increase in the prevalence of lifelong drug consumption,
    which means experimental consumption at this stage. Through the projects that
    we are already implementing, we aim, among other things, to avoid having
    experimental use turn to habitual use, abuse, and addiction.






    Also this year,
    the NADA will develop a national project to prevent drug consumption within the
    home called ‘My Child and I’, through which it wants to consolidate affective
    ties within the family, as well as between the latter and school. We asked what
    advantages may be provided by the family as protection against drugs. In
    psychologist Diana Serban’s opinion, it is first and foremost good
    communication between parents and grandparents and children, forming a safe
    attachment with children up to three years of age, providing children with a
    positive self-image and a value system.






    Track Dina
    Serban: If the parents are open minded,
    and don’t believe that drug consumption is a topic that is off-limits, just as
    sex, for example, often is, when this open communication exists, then the child
    at some point might tell someone that he or she is in an environment where
    drugs are consumed, this is an element of opening that may help the family
    accompany the child when he is referred to a specialized program, to a
    psychologist, or a social assistant. At the same time, it may help normalize
    the situation within the family through open discussions.






    According to
    Diana Serban, when the parents label the children, this already generates a
    risk factor that inhibits communication, and interferes with any other normal
    element in a family.



  • May 22, 2017

    May 22, 2017

    SALARIES — The Unified Pay Scale bill, which provides for raising state employee salaries gradually until 2022 is put to a vote today in the Senate in Bucharest. The Senate labor committee passed a number of amendments, among them raising by 25% the indemnities of local elected officials working on projects financed with European funds, and granting a 15% bonus to public servants in decentralized services under the Ministry of the Environment. The Unified Pay Scale bill raises state budget wages across the board. Stay tuned for details after the news.



    INVESTIGATION — The parliamentary committee appointed to investigate the 2009 presidential elections starts hearings today with journalist and former political adviser Dan Andronic. Over the next few days, the committee hears former Minister of the Interior Vasile Blaga, former chairman of the Permanent Election Authority, Maria Patru, and Mircea Geoana, who ran in the 2009 elections. Recently, Dan Andronic alleged that the heads of major state institutions, such as the director of intelligence and the head prosecutor, had tampered with the elections in favor of the then incumbent president and candidate Traian Basescu. He won a second term in office with a narrow margin, running against Mircea Geoana. Prosecutors are already investigating the case for abuse of office, as well as forging documents and electoral records. The report of the parliament committee could get to the joint chambers by the end of this legislative season, which concludes on July 1st.



    BRUSSELS — Romanian Delegate Minister for European Affairs, Ana Birchall, takes part in Brussels in the General Affairs Council Meeting, gathering 27 countries, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministers of the 27 gather to pass the authorization to open negotiations for the Brexit, the UK leaving the European Union. During her trip, Minister Birchall will hold talks with her Estonian counterpart, Matti Maasikas, on the priorities of the Estonian presidency of the European Council, and the main issues under debate at the European level. The minister pointed to Romanias intense interest in protecting the rights and interests of Romanians living and working in the UK.



    TRUMP — US President Donald Trump arrives today in Israel, the second leg of his first international tour as head of state, the first being Saudi Arabia. He will hold talks in Jerusalem with President Reuven Rivlin, PM Benjamin Netanyahu, and other Israeli leaders. On Tuesday, he goes to Bethlehem, where he meets Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. In Saudi Arabia, a major US ally, Trump signed contracts worth 380 billion USD, mainly for armament and oil sales. In Riyadh, speaking to representatives of over 40 Muslim states, he called on leaders there to take the initiative in fighting Islamist militants. The tour will continue with Italy and Belgium.



    TENNIS — Five Romanian tennis players attend the tournament in Roland Garros, the second Grand Slam of the year, with 36 million Euro in prizes. According to betting houses, Simona Halep, currently ranking fourth in the world, is among the favorites to win. On Sunday, she lost the finals of the tournament in Rome against 11th seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine. The four other Romanian contenders in the current competition are Irina Begu, 44th, Monica Niculescu (53 WTA), Sorana Cîrstea (67 WTA) and Patricia Ţig (119 WTA). The first day of the tournament is Sunday.



    HANDBALL — Romanian mens handball team Potaissa Turda was defeated on Sunday in an away game by Sporting Lisbon, 37-28, in the first leg of the finals of the Challenge Cup. The return leg is scheduled for May 27 in Cluj-Napoca. In womens handball, Romanian champions CSM Bucharest came in third in the Champions Leagu Final Four, the most important European competition. In 2016, CSM won the Champions League in their very first year of attendance.



    DRUGS — The Bulgarian authorities, working with Romanian authorities, have captured over 400 kg of heroin at the Vidin-Calafat crossing point between the two countries. The black market value of the transport is over 32 million Euros. The heroin was found in a truck transporting construction materials, transiting between Iran and Holland.