On October 1st, 2010, the a meeting of the Lithuanian Student Parliament (LSP) and representatives of state decision makers took place at the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania. The goal of the meeting was to present students' opinion and proposals to policy makers on policy solutions in the area of drug use prevention and drug control among youth; to discuss opportunities of cooperation in implementing the proposals.

The mortality rate of the Lithuanian population is one of the highest in Europe. According to the data of the Department of Statistics, in 2009 42 thousand people died in Lithuania. In 2008 the average probably life expectancy of men was 66.3 years. It is the shortest life expectancy in the European Union and as much as 10 years shorter than the EU average. According to specialists, these and many other public health indicators can be improved by conducting more public health research, analysing the population’s behaviour and establishing the reasons for it to make it possible later to make appropriate decisions to tackle problems, to improve the health condition of the country’s population, to increase the employability rate, etc. However, as seen from the discussion of the academic community and representatives of NGOs and governmental institutions on 23 April 2010, today Lithuania pays too little attention to public health research.

IN FOCUS: DECEMBER 17 CAMPAIGNDecember 17th, the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, calls attention to hate crimes committed against sex workers all over the globe. This issue of the SWAN News is devoted to the campaign organized during the week of December 17, 2008 by the SWAN members.

IN FOCUS: MACEDONIA ALERT: POLICE RAIDS, DETENTIONS, INVOLUNTARY STI-TESTS More then 30 sex workers, clients, mediators and one social worker from HOPS, SWAN member from Macedonia, detained in a massive raid; involuntary STI tests performed; civil society says human rights seriously violated

NEWS FROM SWAN NETWORK SWAN representatives at the IHRA conference in Barcelona… 19th International Harm Reduction Conference was this year held from 10-15 May in Barcelona, Spain. HESED, SWAN member from Bulgaria was one of the speakers at a panel related to sex work issues. More

IN FOCUS: Debate on Legalization of Prostitution in Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyz law is rather strict in dealing with prostitution. There are three articles in the Criminal Code penalizing minors’ and adults’ involvement in sex work as well as brothels industry development with up to five years of imprisonment. But recently, there are ever more voices requesting re-evaluation of such policies, claiming they have negative effect on public health and human rights. More