Now the Minister will have a separate deputy for combating drug addiction.

Today, at a videoconference meeting chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to determine effective measures against organized crime, drug crimes, cybercrime, and the shadow economy, which directly threaten the security of the state and society, it was decided to switch to the mass use of narco-express tests starting this year.

It is noted that from now on, in order to create an environment of intolerance to drugs, there will be a special deputy head in the Agency for Youth Affairs, the Ministries of Preschool and School Education, Higher Education, Science and Innovation.

The khokim, the rector of the university, one of the deputy directors of the technical school and school will be appointed responsible for this area.

It turned out that last year, more than 1.5 thousand drug addicts were officially registered in the capital. Most regrettably, the number of drug addicts in the "shadow" is even higher. Most of them are young people.

They spend an average of 20-25 million soums per month on drugs. It's natural for a drug addict to commit a crime in pursuit of money. Last year, 64 people in the republic committed crimes under the influence of drugs, of which one in three was in Tashkent.

As a reminder, a new system for incentivizing educators who identify (commit) students prone to drug crimes and report them to law enforcement agencies was previously planned to be developed and implemented in February 2026.