RESUMEN
240 medical histories of patients admitted to Moscow clinical narcological hospital No. 17 with "opium addiction" diagnosis in 2000 and 2003 (120 histories for each year) were analyzed. From 1997 to 2003 4220 patients registered in narcological dispensary of Cherepovets city (Vologda region) were tested for HBsAg and anti-HCV. It has been shown that in new injection opiate drug users young patients (15 - 19 y.o.) predominated (41.7%). Tendency to development of drug addiction in younger age was revealed - in 2003 compared to 2001 percent of new injection drug users aged 11 - 14 years admitted to hospital raised in 1.5 times. In 2000 and 2003 in Moscow markers of HIV and/or HBV/HCV infection were detected in 84.2 and 91.7% of injection drug users respectively. Maximal rates of HBV and HCV infection in injection drug users in Cherepovets city were detected in 2001 - 11.7 and 83.1% respectively. Leading role of injection drug users in maintenance of HBVand HCV epidemic process activity in Russia was established.