The third highest alcohol consumption in the region goes to Albania, where citizens drink 4.5 liters per year on average, while Bosnia and Herzegovina drink a half a liter less. Macedonians drink the least in the region, consuming 1.1 liters of alcoholic beverages annually. As far as the world is concerned, the Lithuanians record consumption as high as 15.2 liters per capita, and the lowest is in Tajikistan where they drink 0.3 liters. According to psychiatrist Dr. Marina Roganović from the Special Hospital for Psychiatry in Kotor, in Montenegro, there are about 30,000 alcoholics, and by this, alcoholism affects more than 130,000 people in their environment. She says we are witnessing various changes in our society, such as migration movements, difficult family life, economic crisis, alienation, a decline in employment, and all this has an effect on increasing mental disorders. The abuse of alcohol and other psychoactive substances has also increased.
"Alcohol is the most commonly used substance in Montenegro, especially among young people. About 70 million people worldwide have alcohol-induced disorders, of which 78 percent have not been treated. In Montenegro, there is a high alcohol tolerance, and it is an integral part of every family's mileage. Alcoholics have long endured both in the family and in society. An unproductive alcoholic family environment, with no value system, work, and discipline, does not provide love, warmth, and safety to children. Children do not have a healthy person in the family for identification, they are often abused, frightened, insecure, distrustful of their surroundings, and their behavior is shaped by the pattern "everything I hated from my parents, I've adopted".
Street idols become a signpost. These are the children at risk who often become addicts. Drinking alcohol is a socially acceptable behavior. It is part of the legacy and national traditions," Roganovic said. She points out that there are several risk factors for the emergence of addiction. Social factors include the economic and social crisis and poverty, social isolation and disorganization of the community, community standards that tolerate the use of alcohol and drugs, and the availability of alcohol and drugs. Familiar factors are, as she says, the appearance of alcoholism, lack of communication between family members and parents who use drugs. Personality risk factors are alienation or indiscipline, anti-social behavior in early adolescence, friends who use drugs and alcohol, and tolerant attitudes towards alcohol and drug use," Roganovic said.
According to Jovan Bulajić from NGO Preporod, which provides support services to dependents, without the need to measure the scale of the problem of alcohol abuse with anyone, in Montenegro, it is evident that alcohol abuse is constantly growing and that the consequences are easily visible. As he pointed out, alcohol availability, linked with many other social and health problems, such as domestic violence, the number of traffic accidents ending with death, criminality, dependence on other psychoactive substances, broken marriages, and entire families, are just some of the indicators that the problem is enormous.
Text by Dan, on September 18th, 2018, read more at CdM
