Drug addiction growing in Armenia
In 2010, the number of drug addicts totaled 2751 in Armenia, showing an increase by 1000 as compared with 2009. 1717 drug addicts were registered in the country.
"The majority of drug addicts are aged 25-45. Most of them are men though the number of women drug users is also increasing in the country. This is a serious alarm," said Grigor Malentsyan, Head of Support to Integrated Border Management Systems in the South Caucasus.
Though drugs are gaining popularity among teenagers, Malentsyan says unlike Russia and Europe, the situation is controlled in Armenian.
"People bring their children to Armenia to save them from drug addiction. In our country, young people rarely inject drugs intravenously," he said.
Though our parents are attentive to their children, they might be influenced by drug dealers one day.
Speaking about the reasons for drug addiction, Yreevan citizen Ruben Torosyan pointed out to grave living conditions.
"Most of young people are unemployed; their parents cannot meet their bare demands," he said.
"The main reason is unemployment which is the root of all evil. There are numerous vulnerable families in our society who cannot afford their abject necessities," said Mrs. Anahit.
Malentsyan suggests initiating a number of events to prevent the spread of drug addiction. In particular, the government should provide employment opportunities for youth and teens.
"We need to promote healthy lifestyle and create favouarble conditions in sports clubs and resorts. The state should establish a system of discounts to attract youth and cut them off from the street," Malentsyan concluded.
