Latvia has failed to reach targets set in the country’s addiction prevention plan for 2023-2025, the Ministry of Health announced, LETA reported. The ministry’s evaluation report attributed the incomplete implementation of the plan to the lack of government budget funding. The plan included 35 measures to reduce alcohol and drug use, of which 19 were fully implemented, 7 were partially completed, and 9 were not implemented at all. Risky alcohol consumption among adults increased from 39.8% in 2020 to 41.6% in 2024. Also, the use of illicit drugs among those aged 15-64 years rose from 4.5% in 2020 to 5.5% in 2025. The increase was mostly due to experimentation with drugs, while current drug use has remained relatively stable. The ministry estimates that 57,000-72,000 residents may have used illicit drugs in the past year.
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