Drug, Tobacco and Alcohol Control Department under the Government of Republic of Lithuania was established on the 1st April 2011.
Our mission
A healthier and safer society – one that helps each person to prevent or reduce the harm caused by alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, and to exercise responsible business care that meets modern needs.
Our values
Professionalism, cooperation, and commitment to results.
Dear website visitors,
The Department of Drugs, Tobacco, and Alcohol Control (the Department) is entrusted with a very important mission - to take part in the formulation of public policy in the areas of drug, tobacco, and alcohol control and prevention in the light of new challenges and evidence-based science, to protect the health of the public, to reduce the demand for and supply of psychoactive substances, and to ensure inter-institutional coordination.
It is widely recognized that the use of alcohol and tobacco is harmful both to individuals and to society as a whole. As a result, the marketing, production, and advertising of these substances are heavily regulated, and infringements are punishable with severe sanctions. The Department is responsible for overseeing the adherence of economic operators to legislation, with the objective of diminishing the incidence of infractions within this domain to safeguard the fundamental interests of society. One of the biggest challenges today is the development of information technology in the trade sector, which requires balancing the State's interest in the proper supervision of the circulation of alcohol, tobacco, tobacco products, and related products with the advancement of business technology.
A wide range of chemicals are used in numerous legitimate industrial and pharmaceutical processes. These chemicals are generally traded on global and regional markets for legitimate purposes, but some can be used for the illicit production of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. The Department's objective is to ensure that companies engaged in these activities properly fulfill certain obligations. The major focus goes to a high level of cooperation with businesses, through training thus raising awareness amongst operators of the risks and legal requirements for monitoring the diversion of chemicals from licit to illicit circulation.
Today's drug control policy is going through a dynamic period of change: a balanced policy in this area is now understood as a preponderance of the demand reduction aspect of drugs, with a particular emphasis on long-term and continuous measures to prevent the use of psychoactive substances, and the provision of psychosocial rehabilitation services. Lithuania, together with other EU Member States, aims to establish an effective system for monitoring and controlling new psychoactive substances, to ensure the implementation of minimum quality standards for demand reduction, to find ways of combating the illicit distribution of psychoactive substances on the internet, and to continue and improve the implementation of harm reduction measures.
The problem of supply and demand for psychoactive substances cannot be solved by conventional means. First of all, it is imperative to change the behaviors and attitudes of society, to tackle the causes in an organized, systematic way. Preventing the use of psychoactive substances is the duty of all citizens and one of the most important tasks of the state and municipalities. Another important aspect is the involvement of civilians in finding and adopting solutions to the problems of demand and supply of psychoactive substances. It is good to see that the activities of NGOs are aimed at accompanying, encouraging, and empowering young people, giving them the space to realize their ideas. The activities of NGOs contribute to communicating and cooperating with other sectors to make social problems more visible. They contribute to finding solutions while encouraging young people's initiatives and fostering citizenship development.
We cannot expect the most effective results if acting alone in these areas. Working with all sectors is one of the Department's key aims and objectives and we are always open to suggestions and ideas.
We hope to provide all visitors with the necessary legal information, various studies, and recent publications on this website.
Last updated: 03-05-2024