Tajikistan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and OSCE conduct Nationwide Campaign "Youth Against Drugs, Vagrancy, and Hooliganism"

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan (MIA), in co-operation with the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe (POiD), are successfully implementing the "Youth Against Drug Addiction, Vagrancy and Hooliganism" public awareness campaign across Tajikistan.

Held from 11 to 26 June 2025, the campaign features a series of information sessions and sports competitions throughout the country, aiming to prevent drug addiction, vagrancy, and youth-related crimes through seminars.

The initiative focuses on promoting healthy lifestyles among adolescents and young people through targeted seminars and outreach activities. The educational sessions are conducted by officers from the MIA's Service on Prevention of Youth Delinquency and the Department on Fighting Against Drugs, alongside psychologists from the MIA Medical Service. In parallel, the MIA Sports Movement “Dynamo” organizes competitions in mini-football, volleyball, chess, checkers, and martial arts.

More than 500 youth participants (approximately 380 men, 120 women) are taking part in the campaign, including students from specialized schools for at-risk youth and competition winners from cities and districts such as Dushanbe, Bokhtar, Kulyab, Khujand, and Farkhor. The POiD supports the campaign by providing sports equipment, souvenirs, prizes, printed materials, and promotional banners to the MIA. The campaign will conclude with a closing ceremony on 26 June in the Farkhor district, coinciding with the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

The campaign raises public awareness about the dangers and consequences of drug use, with a particular focus on youth. It seeks to encourage young people to avoid involvement in vagrancy, and to prevent them from engaging in violations or criminal activities.