Continue the Change (CC) called on Wednesday for stronger action against drug dealing affecting children. MP Marin Tihomirov presented the parliamentary group’s proposals in a declaration read from the parliamentary rostrum.
Tihomirov cited official figures showing 1,626 registered cases of acute intoxication linked to drug use in Bulgaria in 2025, an average of more than four a day. Of those, 227 involved people aged 18 or younger: 95 were aged up to 15, and 132 were aged 16 to 18.
He also cited figures for 2025 showing 125 drug-related deaths, including eight people under 20. Fentanyl was detected in 58 of the cases. Tihomirov said the figures pointed to an extremely high risk of fatal intoxication, while treatment services were struggling to keep pace.
In 2024, Bulgaria had 16 psychosocial rehabilitation programmes with a total capacity of 428 places, he said, calling that capacity “woefully inadequate”.
Tihomirov noted that the Council of Ministers adopted the National Strategy to Combat Drugs for 2026–2030, together with an action plan and financial plan, on May 7. Four months later, he asked what measures had begun, what funding had been allocated, how many treatment places had been added and specialists hired, and how many measures had reached schools, neighbourhoods and families.
CC proposed a permanent coordination mechanism between the Interior Ministry and the Prosecutor’s Office to combat drug dealing in high-risk areas. It called for a sustained presence on the ground, efforts to identify organizers and trace financial flows, and public reporting of results.
The group also asked the Interior Ministry to report on its laboratory capacity to identify new psychotropic and psychoactive substances and how long the analyses take. It called on the Health Ministry to provide figures on detoxification, treatment and rehabilitation capacity, along with a timetable and public funding plan for expanding it.
CC further proposed permanent mobile teams for prevention and direct intervention in high-risk schools and neighbourhoods, involving the Education Ministry, the Interior Ministry, municipalities and local commissions on narcotic substances. Tihomirov called for sustained parliamentary oversight of the national strategy and adequate funding for its implementation.
“Drug dealing among children is a crime. And when institutions fail to protect children or to cut off distribution channels, it becomes a matter of political accountability,” he said.
A 2025 national survey of 4,583 pupils in grades 8 to 12 found that 18.6% had used an illicit drug at least once, while 12.6% reported use in the preceding year. A separate European school survey found that lifetime drug use among Bulgarian pupils aged 15 to 16 fell from 30% in 2015 to 12% in 2024.
Investigations have highlighted online routes by which drugs reach young people. In May 2026, customs officials reported seizing more than 1,000 shipments of narcotics ordered online, saying many such orders were placed by children and teenagers. In a separate case that month, Sofia police said dealers had used Telegram channels to distribute drugs, with minors among those involved.
Continue the Change Calls for Action Against Drug Dealing Affecting Children 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-09-30 09:25:58
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