Bulgaria has seen an increase in heroin trafficking and in heroin seizures this year. There were no maritime narcotics seizures in 1997. Demand Reduction . The drug abuse problem in Bulgaria is small but growing. Experts estimate that in this nation of 8.3 million people, there 25,000 to 35,000 heroin users, less than 10 percent of whom are in treatment.
Cocaine is too expensive for all but the wealthy.
Use of marijuana and Ecstasy are new problems but growing rapidly. Increases in drug consumption have been particularly noteworthy among the marginalized Roma population, in prisons, in localized geographic areas, and among traffickers. Demand reduction is receiving increased attention in Bulgaria. There is also a WHO program for health promotion in 30 target schools. Both the Bulgarian National Center for Addictions and the Open Society Foundation provide training seminars on drug abuse for school teachers nationwide.