This article presents the challenges and opportunities the application of a quality management practice in healthcare organizations presents in view of the psycho-emotional well-being of employees when implementing quality management practices. The article addresses the academic challenge of the impact implementation of a quality management practice has on the emotional well-being of employees, which is formulated as the following conundrum: does an implemented quality management practice improve the emotional well-being of employees. Although studies show that a quality management practice put in place has a positive impact on the quality of work, the introduction of a quality management practice sometimes has a negative impact on the emotional well-being of employees. The objective - to assess the impact of a quality management practice implementation on the emotional well-being of employees – has been met. Analysis and synthesis methods were applied, and a quantitative survey of 285 workers in three healthcare organizations was conducted. It was established that although all employees of organizations surveyed experience stressful situations at work, they feel better in organizations where a quality management practice is in place than in those where the practice is not in place. Therefore, we can argue that the implementation of a quality management practice improves the emotional well-being of employees.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union the control over the production and sales of narcotic substances in Latvia and Lithuanian decreased significantly. In 1992 the law that stipulated compulsory treatment for drug addiction was abolished. At about the same time relationships among drug addicts underwent a drastic change. In the 70’s and the 80’s drug addicts acquired and produced narcotics themselves but in the 90’s with the start of economic growth, organised crime started to flood the market of our countries with cocaine, Ecstasy, LSD and amphetamines which took over the traditional homemade narcotic substances.
The recent illegal market trends are connected with the flow of new psychoactive substances also through internet resources. Consequently the states intensified its legislative initiative in this field. In addition there is a current trend related to the use of smuggled controlled substances and new psychoactive substances, illegal cultivation of marijuana as well as the involvement our countries citizens in the trafficking of narcotic substances.
The problem of drug addiction has become very topical as an ever increasing number of youth who are involved in narcotics could become a threat to each and every one of us and security of society as a whole when they become addicted to their daily dose as the crave for the dose is so strong that they are ready to commit the most meaningless and cruellest crimes to get their daily dose. Today the use of narcotics is a threat to every young person irrespective of whether he/she comes from a normal or socially disadvantaged family.
The aim of the paper is to analyse the latest trends and the current situation in Latvia and Lithuania with regards to the possibilities of resolving drug addiction issues and put forward various solutions based on the forecasts for the near future. Analytical methods, theoretical studies and specific legal research methods shall be primarily used and applied.