Russia laments 'youth tolerance' of drugs

MOSCOW, April 16 (UPI) -- A quarter of Russia's university students have tried illicit drugs at least once, a top official said Saturday.

Viktor Ivanov, director of the Federal Drug Control Service, told ITAR-Tass a survey found 40 percent of higher-education students "are familiar with drugs."

"Twenty-five percent have tried at least once, 7 percent take drugs on occasion and 9 percent take regularly," he said.

Ivanov blamed "high tolerance to drugs among the youth and the low rating of healthy life," among other factors.