Police outside shop seeling smart drugs after crackdown last year; photo - PAP

“Artists against smart drugs” is the motto of a nationwide campaign in Poland, which has been inaugurated with a concert in the mid-western city of Poznan.

Health minister Ewa Kopacz, who attended the event, told Polish Radio that politicians have done their job, by legally banning smart drugs. Now is the time to reach out to young people with the message about the dangers of using such narcotic substances.

“We want to be smarter today and reach not only for bans, laws, closures of smart drug shops and prosecution of those who sell smart drugs, but also use friendlier methods, saying the more knowledge on this subject, especially the harmful effects of smart drugs, the more effective this struggle can be,” Minister Kopacz said.

Last year the government decided to crack down on smart drug shops, which were mushrooming fast across Poland. Legislation was adopted ordering the shops to close, but fuelling criticism that smart drug sales will move to the web, instead.

The latest figures show, however, that the number of people hospitalized due to smart drug poisoning has been declining. Last October, the drugs claimed their fortieth victim.

“We have not registered any fatalities since then," Minister Kopacz said. (kk)