Jānis Strazdiņš, prominent narcologist, psychiatrist and politician, dies at 84

Jānis Strazdiņš, a long-serving narcologist, psychiatrist and politician who served as a deputy in several Saeima and Riga City Council terms, died on Sunday at the age of 84.

Medical career

Strazdiņš graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at Riga Medical Institute in 1966. He began his professional career at Straupe Narcological Hospital, where he was chief physician until 1973. From 1973 to 1977 he served as deputy chief physician at Riga Psychoneurological Hospital, and later headed Riga City Narcological Dispensary until 1993.

From 1975 to 1990 he was the chief narcologist of the Latvian SSR Ministry of Health, and from 1991 to 1993 he served as chief freelance narcologist at the Republic of Latvia Welfare Ministry. Between 1993 and 1995 he led the State Narcological Care and Health Centre and the Latvian National Drug Control and Drug Addiction Combating Coordination Commission. From 2000 to 2002 he was head of the Riga Drug Addiction Prevention Centre.

Political activity

Strazdiņš was elected to Riga City Council in 1997 from the Latvian Farmers' Union list and retained his seat after the 2001 elections. In 2002 he entered the 8th Saeima as a candidate of the Union of Greens and Farmers, and was re-elected to the 9th and 10th Saeima. He failed to win a seat in the 11th Saeima elections, but on 6 February 2014 he temporarily returned to parliament while Raimonds Vējonis was serving as defence minister.

In 1994 Strazdiņš became an honorary member of the Latvian Association of Medical Workers, and in 1995 he received the Order of the Three Stars, fifth class. Jauns.lv extends its deepest condolences to his family and friends.