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OF SOCIAL EVILS: SPECIALISTS SAY ARMENIA NEEDS STATE POLICY TO DEAL WITH DRUG ABUSE, ALCOHOLISM
By Lilit Arakelyan
ArmeniaNow
07.02.12 | 12:29
Psychologist Samvel Khudoyan says that a negative attitude towards
narcotics should be formed among children early on.
Drug addiction, alcoholism and, increasingly, gambling are said to
be growing concerns in Armenia, that health care workers say reflect
economic and social problems, and that should merit government policy
attention.
At a Monday forum, specialists in the field of prevention and treatment
said anti-drug and anti-alcoholism awareness campaigns at the state
level would prove particularly effective among children and teenagers.
Psychologist Samvel Khudoyan says that a negative attitude towards
narcotics should be formed early on, among children still going to
school, as teenagers and young people who often do not feel dangers
and want at least to try everything are the highest risk group.
Armenian Narco-Clinical Center Director Petros Semerjyan is also in
favor of a more coordinated state-level campaign. The specialist even
refused to attend Monday's discussion on the subject, because the
host media club had a poster advertising a liquor company on its wall.
By his boycott of the discussion Semerjyan sought to deliver a message
that despite certain legal regulations, television, radio, magazines,
websites, as well as city billboards, continue to advertise alcohol,
tobacco products and casinos.
(Advertisement of strong alcoholic beverages, except brandy, is banned
on TV; commercials for lighter beverages, such as beer and wine,
are allowed, but limited to certain hours, as is advertisement of
gambling places and lotteries. But, in practice, TV companies still
find loopholes in the legislation, such as presenting advertisement
as sponsorship of certain programming, etc. Advertisement of tobacco
on TV is banned, and in print media has certain restrictions,
for example, it must not be placed on the front and back pages
of editions. Tobacco advertisement on billboards is also banned,
while billboards with alcohol and casino advertisement are allowed,
but with certain place limitations, such as away from kindergartens,
schools, medical establishments, etc).
Drug addiction is also more associated with criminal offence given
the illicit nature of acquisition of narcotics by those having an
addiction.
According to Armenian police data, more than 1,800 crimes and offences
connected with illegal drug trafficking were registered in 2011. The
rate of that kind of crime showed almost no tendency of decreasing
compared to the previous year. Marijuana, according to police reports,
remains the most common drug, of which a total of 20 kilograms were
confiscated last year.
Khudoyan advocates hypnotherapy "... as it aims to provide a positive
change in a patient's mentality and help bring him or her back to
reality."
The doctor says his patients with drug addiction problems are mainly
young people aged 18-25 who are forced to attend sessions by their
parents or relatives.
Comparing the extent of drug abuse in Armenia, the psychologist says
it has a lower rate than in neighboring Georgia and Azerbaijan.
"Most of the religious population in Azerbaijan are Muslims and
their religion prohibits the use of alcohol. But one in three young
people in Azerbaijan abuse drugs that are mainly brought from Iran,"
says Khudoyan. "Alcoholism among young people in Armenia decreased
as compared to what its rate was during the Soviet times, not least
due to the country's further departing from the influence of Russia
[which is known to have a high rate of alcoholism]."
(Still, Armenia was the only former Soviet republic where there were no
so-called sobering-up stations that were commonly practiced elsewhere
in the USSR.)
According to the Armenian police, 98 percent of those prosecuted for
drug trafficking are formally unemployed.
According to the Health Ministry data, of 1,631 people tested at
specialized clinics for drug abuse in 2011, 1,130 were put on the
registry as drug users, with a majority of them using cannabis
(marijuana, hashish, etc.).
By Lilit Arakelyan
ArmeniaNow
07.02.12 | 12:29
Psychologist Samvel Khudoyan says that a negative attitude towards
narcotics should be formed among children early on.
Drug addiction, alcoholism and, increasingly, gambling are said to
be growing concerns in Armenia, that health care workers say reflect
economic and social problems, and that should merit government policy
attention.
At a Monday forum, specialists in the field of prevention and treatment
said anti-drug and anti-alcoholism awareness campaigns at the state
level would prove particularly effective among children and teenagers.
Psychologist Samvel Khudoyan says that a negative attitude towards
narcotics should be formed early on, among children still going to
school, as teenagers and young people who often do not feel dangers
and want at least to try everything are the highest risk group.
Armenian Narco-Clinical Center Director Petros Semerjyan is also in
favor of a more coordinated state-level campaign. The specialist even
refused to attend Monday's discussion on the subject, because the
host media club had a poster advertising a liquor company on its wall.
By his boycott of the discussion Semerjyan sought to deliver a message
that despite certain legal regulations, television, radio, magazines,
websites, as well as city billboards, continue to advertise alcohol,
tobacco products and casinos.
(Advertisement of strong alcoholic beverages, except brandy, is banned
on TV; commercials for lighter beverages, such as beer and wine,
are allowed, but limited to certain hours, as is advertisement of
gambling places and lotteries. But, in practice, TV companies still
find loopholes in the legislation, such as presenting advertisement
as sponsorship of certain programming, etc. Advertisement of tobacco
on TV is banned, and in print media has certain restrictions,
for example, it must not be placed on the front and back pages
of editions. Tobacco advertisement on billboards is also banned,
while billboards with alcohol and casino advertisement are allowed,
but with certain place limitations, such as away from kindergartens,
schools, medical establishments, etc).
Drug addiction is also more associated with criminal offence given
the illicit nature of acquisition of narcotics by those having an
addiction.
According to Armenian police data, more than 1,800 crimes and offences
connected with illegal drug trafficking were registered in 2011. The
rate of that kind of crime showed almost no tendency of decreasing
compared to the previous year. Marijuana, according to police reports,
remains the most common drug, of which a total of 20 kilograms were
confiscated last year.
Khudoyan advocates hypnotherapy "... as it aims to provide a positive
change in a patient's mentality and help bring him or her back to
reality."
The doctor says his patients with drug addiction problems are mainly
young people aged 18-25 who are forced to attend sessions by their
parents or relatives.
Comparing the extent of drug abuse in Armenia, the psychologist says
it has a lower rate than in neighboring Georgia and Azerbaijan.
"Most of the religious population in Azerbaijan are Muslims and
their religion prohibits the use of alcohol. But one in three young
people in Azerbaijan abuse drugs that are mainly brought from Iran,"
says Khudoyan. "Alcoholism among young people in Armenia decreased
as compared to what its rate was during the Soviet times, not least
due to the country's further departing from the influence of Russia
[which is known to have a high rate of alcoholism]."
(Still, Armenia was the only former Soviet republic where there were no
so-called sobering-up stations that were commonly practiced elsewhere
in the USSR.)
According to the Armenian police, 98 percent of those prosecuted for
drug trafficking are formally unemployed.
According to the Health Ministry data, of 1,631 people tested at
specialized clinics for drug abuse in 2011, 1,130 were put on the
registry as drug users, with a majority of them using cannabis
(marijuana, hashish, etc.).