Latent narcotism and measures to improve prevention and response to the drug threat

The article reveals the essence and forms of latent narcotism. It is shown that narcotism as a negative social phenomenon is manifested in four forms of antisocial and illegal social behavior, which have a single social nature, antisocial essence and general patterns of determination: intermittent non-medical drug use; drug addiction as a pathological form of regular or systematic non-medical drug use associated with physical and psychological dependence on drugs; illegal drug production and distribution; commission of crimes and other drug-related offences. The empirical framework of the research consists in data of state statistics of the Republic of Belarus and the sociological survey of the population in the country on a representative sample (sample size - more than two 2,000 respondents). The data are used to determine the extent of registered, latent and actual drug abuse and drug addiction in Belarus. We reveal the contradiction between the upward trend in drug abuse in the country, according to sociological surveys, and the downward trend in the number of persons on the drug register of the Ministry of Health of Belarus, and a decrease in crime associated with drug abuse according to state statistics. It is concluded that official statistical medical and criminal information does not fully reflect the real drug situation in the country, as it does not take into account the so-called latent narcotism (latent and non-recorded drug level). The socio-deviant features of everyday behavior and lifestyle of respondents associated with drug use are revealed. Based on comparative and factor analysis of results of the sociological research, a socio-classification model of the modern Belarusian drug user is presented. A set of measures to improve prevention and response to drug threat at the conceptual, strategic and legislative level has been developed.