ABSTRACT
Officials in the republic of Georgia—when compared to their peers in other republics—appeared particularly concerned about drug abuse. In 1967, the republic's Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Komsomol'skaia pravda established a special commission to study the extent of, and provide proposals to combat, drug abuse in Georgia. The ascension to power of Mikhail Gorbachev as general secretary of the Communist party initiated a dramatic change in the official attitude towards drug abuse. Soviet sources sometimes appear perplexed that the New Soviet Man would even want to abuse drugs. Pharmacies, hospitals, and other medical establishments provide another source of drugs for illicit use. Smugglers, either amateur or professional, also supply drugs for domestic consumption. Among the thousands of foreign tourists and students who annually visit the USSR, some bring drugs with them to sell or give to local friends and acquaintances.
