Of drugs and violence in the Romanian schools

Authorities in Romania are taking measures against violence and drug consumption in schools

Leyla Cheamil, 12.04.2023, 14:00

The consumption of psychoactive substances in schools is on the rise among the Romanian teenagers with bad consequences both for them and their families.

Anti-drug policemen have recently annihilated a major network of consumers and traffickers of banned substances. Most of these consumers were minors and communicating via the message network Telegram.

Early this week numerous search operations were carried out in Bucharest and other localities like Mures, in central Romania, Braila and Galati in the south-east and Dambovita in the south. Significant quantities of drugs and money have been seized on this occasion. Here is Catalin Tone, the head of the Antidrug service with the Brigade of Combating Organized Crime in Bucharest.

Catalin Tone: “This is an atypical case, which shows us again the serious dimension of the phenomenon of drug abuse and trafficking in Romania. 11,000 people have been active on a chat group suggestively entitled Sweet Grass, where 30-40 thousand daily messages have been reported. Talks here have mainly been about drugs, distribution, consumption, cocktails and blends. Also very serious is the fact there were 15-20 hundred minors in the aforementioned group, very young and not very responsible at their age.”

The Romanian society is in great need of initiatives for the education and information of the young people, the anti-drug expert says. Catalin Tone also believes Romania needs more clinics for the treatment of drug addiction. Another dangerous phenomenon which is gaining momentum in schools across Romania is violence and its negative impact on all those involved in the educational process.

The Ministry of Education estimates that within two weeks it will come up with a procedure for the management of violent cases in schools, which will enable teachers and any other employee in the countrys education system to promptly and properly deal with school violence. Education Minister Ligia Deca said that together with the ministries of Justice and the Interior, they are identifying the necessary law amendments, including in the areas of fines and obligations for parents. In turn, the trade unions representatives in education have announced their intention to table a legislative initiative in Parliament aimed at discouraging violence acts in schools. The decision was made after a series of events in several Romanian schools, which involved the physical aggression and humiliation of some teachers. An initiative aimed at discouraging school violence was voted by the Chamber of Deputies in 2018 but failed to get the Senate approval.

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