At a public hearing of the Commission for Social Protection, Health and Family on the prevention of drug use among minors, Interior Minister Daniela Misail-Nikitin said that in 2020, only 4 crimes involving minors were reported, in the first 10 months of 2025, the number increased to 17.
Organizers of drug networks are increasingly using children as couriers and distributors, including through cryptocurrency platforms. “They count on the fact that minors have not reached the age of criminal responsibility and cannot be held accountable for these actions,” Misail-Nikitin emphasized.
The Minister said that this is happening against the backdrop of an increase in the total number of drug offenses. For 10 months of 2025, more than 1000 criminal cases were opened, while the number of administrative offenses reached 3700. Only last week, 17 searches were carried out, and the value of the seized drugs exceeds 20 million lei.
The Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code are to be amended to toughen the penalties for drug smuggling, including when children are involved in criminal schemes.
Inga Grosu, a consultant at the Ministry of Education and Research, said the agency, together with the Interior Ministry, is developing a general plan of preventive actions, as well as a reporting mechanism so that teachers and school staff know where to report risks or suspicious situations. “It is very important that teachers observe a child’s psycho-emotional state and know how to help in a difficult situation,” Grosu added.
Galina Lesco, head of the Youth Friendly Health Center, drew attention to the dangerous statistics: at the age of 11, 11% of girls and 20% of boys drink alcohol at least once a month. Moldova is among the European leaders in terms of such early consumption. According to Leşco, early use of “legal” substances increases the risk of turning to illegal drugs, making prevention a key element in the fight.
Official statistics show that at the beginning of October in Moldova there were 12,373 cases of drug use among adults and 37 among adolescents, but these data do not reflect the real situation. In addition, 55 minors who use drugs are HIV carriers, two of them under 14 years of age.
As Logos Press reported earlier, the authorities will have to develop a new National Strategy on combating drug use and drug trafficking in accordance with the EU standards. An interdepartmental working group with the participation of representatives of state structures, civil society and experts is in charge of the development.
