Drug addiction damage to Russia comparable with annual healthcare budget - Patrushev

YEKATERINBURG. Feb 25 (Interfax) - Drug addiction is a major threat to Russian national security, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said at the Council's visiting session in Yekaterinburg on Monday.

"Experts estimate economic losses from non-medical use of narcotic drugs at 3%-5% of GDP or 2-3 trillion rubles, which is comparable with the 2012 healthcare budget," he said.

Seventy percent of drug users are young people, he said.