Russia to Fight Illegal Drug Advertising With a Chatbot

A chatbot called Stop Graffiti has gone live in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region. It allows law-abiding citizens to quickly report drug-related graffiti defacing building walls, as well as suspicious online resources linked to the sale of illegal substances.

A Digital Patrol

The digital assistant, operating under the name stopgraffitichel_bot, was launched with the involvement of the regional drug control department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Chelyabinsk Region and the Chelyabinsk region’s Ministry of Digital Development. The bot runs on the national MAX messenger.

It is already being used in practice to prevent and suppress illegal advertising of banned psychotropic substances. The project has received a third-degree laureate diploma at the national Bezopasny Gorod award.

Reporting a Crime Made Simple

The bot’s workflow is straightforward. Users find the bot in the messenger, tap “Start,” and choose an action from the menu. To report drug-related graffiti, it is enough to provide an address, geolocation, and attach a photo. The report is automatically forwarded to the local municipal administration or the building management company. Authorized services then take the necessary action, and once the graffiti is painted over, the user receives a notification.

A separate section is designed for reporting websites and social media accounts involved in distributing illegal substances. These reports are immediately forwarded to Roskomnadzor for review and subsequent out-of-court blocking if violations are confirmed. This shortens the path from the citizen to the responsible authority and reduces response times. It also eases the workload of state and municipal offices that handle reports through traditional channels.

Prevention Over Reaction

The bot also serves a preventive function. It provides users with educational materials on the harm caused by drugs, lists verified anti-drug resources, and shares useful contact information. The service can also be used to book an appointment with a narcologist at the regional clinical drug treatment hospital.

Driven by Citizen Engagement

The Interior Ministry emphasizes that the initiative relies on public involvement and rapid response.

Officials note that reports from residents, combined with quick action by municipal authorities, significantly support law enforcement efforts to combat drug distribution, a problem they say has not yet been fully eliminated.

Rolling Out Nationwide

Similar services are already operating in other parts of Russia. Chatbots and online reporting tools for tracking illegal drug advertising are in use in Moscow, Tatarstan, and the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area. These tools have become a convenient channel for interaction between residents and public services and are expected to be expanded nationwide.