1. Recent developments in the field of Alcohol and Substance abuse policy in Latvia
Jekaterina Dobrijana
Senior Officer on Addiction Surveillance
Ministry of Health, Latvia 
Public Health Department 

2. Alcohol Related Political Restrictions
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3. Legislative initiatives are already introduced
The prohibition of outdoor advertising has been introduced in 2013;
The prohibition to sale alcoholic beverages through distance contracts has been introduced in 2013;
The rates of excise duties have been increased in 2015 and they are going to be increased more till 2018.
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4. Excise tax rates for alcoholic beverages (per 100 litres), EUR
Name of product
Wine 70 74 78 82
Fermented beverages
(till 6%) 64
Fermented beverages (over 6%)
Intermediate products
(till 15%)
Intermediate pr.
( %)
110
120
130
135
Spirits
(and other alcoholic beverages) per 100 litres of absolute spirits
1360
1400
1450
1500
Beer (for each abs.spirits % by volume)
3.8 (7.4)
4.2 (7.8)
4.5 (8.2)
4.8 (8.6)
1.9 (7.4)
2.1 (7.8)
2.25 (8.2)
2.4 (8.6)
(The minimal tax rate per 100 litres)
For small breweries for one calendar year produced the first hectoliters
(the minimal tax rate per 100 litres)
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5. New legislative initiative (adopted by the Parliament in 2 reading)
Prohibition to sell beer, fermented beverages and alcoholic cocktails the ethyl alcohol by volume of which up to 5.8 %, bottled in packaging more than 1 litre.
Prohibition to sell beer, fermented beverages and alcoholic cocktails the ethyl alcohol by volume of which exceeds 5.8 %, bottled in packaging of more than 0.5 litre.
Exceptions:
glass, ceramic, wooden and metal packaging;
sales in the production places.
Under preparation: Action plan for reduction of consumption of alcoholic beverages and limitation of alcoholism for the next period.
The new Plan will focus mainly on the rehabilitation and treatment procedure's availability for persons diagnosed with addiction.

6. Illicit Drugs and Other Psychoactive Substance Related Political Restrictions

7. Legislative initiatives are already introduced
Control systems of new illicit drug and other psychoactive substances:
Generic systems - new substances are put under control not as individual substances but by their families (since 2013);
temporary ban system - allows restricting the trade of new psychoactive substances faster (since 2013)
*the offences of temporary ban are also a subject of criminal sanctions.
The both systems are regularly complemented.
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8. Smoking Related Political Restrictions
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9. Directive 2014/40/EC transposition into national legislation:
The new law: Tobacco products, herbal products, electronic cigarettes and refill containers law
(entered into force on 20 May 2016)
The new law will contain also additional smoking restrictions:
smoking prohibition nearby a pregnant woman;
in state and municipal vehicles;
inside the medical and social care institutions smoking is prohibited.
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10. Another legislation initiatives are already introduced
Non-smoker’s rights to smoke-free area are prior over smoker's rights to smoke (since 2014);
prohibition of smoking in the presence of a child, and accordingly to the Protection of the Rights of the Child Law the smoking nearby a child is defined as a physical violence (since 2014);
prohibition of smoking in any public places in the presence of people who oppose smoking (since 2014);
the use of electronic smoking devices are subject to the same smoking restrictions as tobacco products (since 2014).
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11. Addictive substance use prevalence and trends in Latvia
Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of Latvia
Research and health statistics department
Addiction monitoring unit
Una Martinsone

12. Alcohol Use Prevalence and Consequences
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13. Registered absolute alcohol consumption in liters per capita and per capita for   15 years old and older population – 2014
Over the past 6 years, the largest proportion of the absolute alcohol consumption (per capita for 15+ years) is due to beer consumption. According to WHO estimates, with 10.2 liters of consumed absolute alcohol, Latvia is ranked at number 15th among 28 EU countries based on their annual alcohol consumption per capita for population aged 15 years +.
The overall trend in absolute alcohol consumption during the past five years remains stable with a slight increase in consumption numbers every year.
Source: Alcohol use prevalence and consequences in Latvia 2014.
Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of Latvia, 2015

14. Consumption of alcoholic beverages in the last 30 days among 15-16 year old pupils, 1995 – 2015 (%)
The prevalence of pupils who have consumed alcoholic beverages during the past 30 days has decreased from 65% in 2011 down to 46% in 2014, indicating the largest drop in the prevalence rate during the past 20 years.
Source: ESPAD survey in Latvia 2015, unpublished data.
Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of Latvia, 2016

15. 15 year old pupils who have been drunk at least twice during their lifetime, 1994-2014 (%)
Source:Health behavior in school-aged children (HBSC) study in Latvia, Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of Latvia, 2015

16. Mortality from diseases directly related to alcohol consumption per 100 000 population, 2008 - 2014
Mortality from diseases directly linked to alcohol use (alcohol psychosis and alcohol addiction, alcoholic liver cirrhosis, alcohol cardiopathy, epilepsy alcohol, alcoholic pancreatitis, etc.) has declined in 2014, reaching the lowest rate during the past 6 years (during 2009 – 705 reported cases, during reported cases).
Source:: Alcohol use prevalence and consequences in Latvia 2014.
Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of Latvia, 2015

17. Smoking Prevalence and Trends
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18. Any type of tobacco use among 13 -15 year old pupils during the last month, 2002-2014 (%)
Since 2011 the prevalence of any type of tobacco use among year old pupils during the last month has decreased by 39%
(36% for boys and 42% for girls), thus closing the gap between both genders.
Source: Global Youth Tobacco Survey Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of Latvia

19. 11, 13 and 15 year old pupils who have tried smoking, 1991.-2014 (%)
Data indicates that the proportion of pupils aged 11, 13 and 15 who have tried smoking during the last year is declining, indicating a shift in the prevalence trend not only among boys but also among girls for the first time since the early 90s.
Source: Health behavior in school-aged children (HBSC) study in Latvia, Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of Latvia, 2015

20. 13-15 year old pupils who have tried E-cigarettes during the last month, 2011-2014 (%)
The proportion of pupils who have tried e-cigarettes during the last month has gradually increased since 2011, with the biggest leap in the indicator observed among 15 year old girls and boys.
Source: Global Youth Tobacco Survey Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of Latvia

21. Current smokers among 15+ year old inhabitants in Latvia and the European Union, 2014 (%)
Since 2012 the prevalence of current smokers in Latvia has decreased form 36% in 2012 to 30% in 2014 which is above the average indicator of 26% in the 28 EU countries.
Source:Special Eurobarometer 429. Attitudes of Europeans towards tobacco and electronic cigarettes. European Commision

22. New Psychoactive Substance (NPS) use

23. Number of new psychoactive substance seizures 2007-2015
Due to changes in legislation the number of seizures within one year decreased by more then 50%.
Source: Reitox Latvian National focal Point, National EWS Final Reports Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

24. Number of treated patients who have used NPS 2013-2015
Also due to changes in legislation the number of patients using NPS has decreased from 325 in 2014 to 133 in 2015
Source: Register of Narcological patients, Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of Latvia, 2015

25. Lifetime prevalence of NPS use among 15-16 year old pupils, 2011-2015 (%)
In general, according to variouse suveys provided for different population groups, NPS use is more popular among high risk drug users (HRDU – 36% have used NPS during their life) and among prisoners and party goers (both18%).
Lifetime prevalence of NPS use has decreased back to the level of 2010.
Source: ESPAD survey in Latvia 2015, unpublished data.
Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of Latvia, 2016

26. Illicit Drug Use Prevalence and Consequences
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27. All drug lifetime use prevalence during the last year and the last month among 15–64 old population, (%)
The EMCDDA uses five key epidemiological indicators to achieve its goal of providing factual, objective, reliable and comparable information on drugs and drug addiction at European level. In Latvia these indicators are used to gather drug information at national level. The indicators are:
Prevalence and patterns of drug use among the general population
Prevalence and patterns of high risk drug use
Demand for drug treatment
Drug- related infectious diseases
Drug- related deaths and mortality of drug users
*unpublished data
Source: National general population surveys (GPS) on drug use in Latvia

28. Cannabis lifetime use prevalence during the last year and last month among 15–64 year oldpopulation, (%)
National general population surveys on drug use in Latvia have been conducted every four years since 2003, and the most recent data are available for All four surveys used the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) recommended data collection methods and a target population of people aged 15–64, with an average sample of 4 500 respondents. This allows comparison with similar surveys in other countries as well as comparability of results between the four surveys over time.
*unpublished data
Source: National general population surveys (GPS) on drug use in Latvia

29. Thank you for attention!
The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Latvia
The Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of Latvia