20.09.2005 In Russia 2 millions children are alcoholics, 56 thousand from them are younger than 14 years!

It is difficult to imagine, what happy change would take place
In our life if people have ceased
To stupefy themselves by vodka, wine, tobacco, opium.
L.Tolstoy
Alcohol has taken a strong niche in a modern Russian society. Each seventh Russian is the alcoholic. For a long time there was habitual for us a picture of the drunk 13-years teenager with a bottle of beer in a hand in streets of city. Everyone speaks about this problem, but nobody accepts concrete measures. If advertising of alcoholic drinks on TV is forbidden in the afternoon by the law after 22.00 on youth which just only takes seat in front of blue screens, the never-ending stream of plots about " a foamy drink " falls. Television heroes of the majority of the Russian serials " cops and special agents" - idols of youth - drink spirits. Beer is considered to be low alcohol drink in Russia, nevertheless, it is already proved for a long time, that easy alcoholic drinks essentially as fast, as well as vodka can promote development of alcoholism. The special attention should be given to the development of alcoholism among children and teenagers . It is proved,that the child gets in alcoholic dependence in three-four times faster, than the adult, it’s proved by the anatomico-physiological features of a children's organism which quickly gets used to alcoholic drinks. The data of official statistics testify to growth of abusing by alcohol among teenagers. For the period from 1991 to 2000 the number of the firstly diagnosed teenagers, sick with alcoholism has grown in 1.5 times and has made 10,5 on 100 thousand teenagers. Sociological polls testify, that with this or that frequency more than 80 % of young people in the age of 12-24 years take alcoholic drinks, according to a personal confession. Each third teenager in the age of 12 years drinks beer, and in the age of 13 years - two from every three. Vodka and wine drink up to third of young people. Mass consumption of beer teenagers and youth begin on the average in 12 years, wine - in 15 years, vodka - in 16 years. Motives of the use of alcohol in this group basically were similar - " pleasant spending of time ", " being as all ", " feeling themselves the adult ", " desire to relax, or taking off a pressure". Each Russian on statistics drinks 14 litres of pure spirit and washs down it with 30 litres of beer in one year. For the last five years the quantityof of beer amateurs among pupils and students of Karelia steadily grows, frequency of the use and volume of the drunk beer increase. For last three years the growth of alcoholism has increased for 8,8% in Karelia. The number of juvenile teenagers who address in a narcological clinic steadily grows every year. More than 50 % violations of the law are accomplished by teenagers in a state of intoxication. We can see advertisement of alcoholic production everywhere, and in shop " Borodino ", for example, that on street. Kuibyshev, it’s called to buy alcoholic drinks in several languages.They don’t care how it works on teenagers and children. Adults do not advertise yoghurts!
It is necessary for authorities to take immediate concrete measures which will really work and yield results:
- To forbid any advertising and propagation of alcoholic drinks;
- To reinforce the control over realization of alcoholic production;
- To toughen official penalties, down to criminal punishments for sale of alcoholic drinks to teenagers and children, and for drinking of alcoholic drinks in public places;
- To equate beer to alcoholic drinks, and to authorize sale only when a person is 21 years;
- To raise the state control over production and selling alcoholic drinks;
- To increase cost of alcoholic drinks.
- To create the precise long-term program with state financing on preventive maintenance of harmful habits among teenagers.
Sad statistics:
In Russia 2 millions children are alcoholics, 56 thousand from them are younger than 14 years. 13 thousand children has died out of the use alcohol, and in 2001 - 20 thousand. A principal reason for children's alcoholism is the consumption of beer: “They don’t need much.” Only two half-liter jars of beer in a week for the teenager is already high probability of that will develop alcoholism.
The Karelian office « Youth human rights groups ».
Alcoholism makes more devastation, than three historical scourges taken together: famine, plague and war. (U.Gladston) It is difficult to imagine, what happy change would take place in our life if people have ceased to stupefy themselves by vodka, wine, tobacco, opium. (L.Tolstoy) All epidemics taken together ruin mankind less, than drunkenness. (Z.Roshar)
The Karelian office “ Youth human rigts groups” informs about carrying out the action on struggle with children's and teenage alcoholism " the Childhood in a cut glass cup? "
The purpose of the action is paying attention of inhabitants of Karelia and Petrozavodsk’s citizens to a problem of growth children's and teenage alcoholism for the last years,to force the Government of RK and administration of Petrozavodsk to take real measures on restriction of distribution of alcoholic drinks among youth. Target audience: students and pupils. It is expected, that no less than 50 person will take part in the action. The description of the action: the posters calling for a healthy way of life will be stretched during the action in Student's parkway , the dramatized representation will pass during which Death - the Delirium tremens will expose the defects of drunkenness, there will be evidently shown by what destructive image alcoholism works on an organism of the child, the horrifying statistics of consequences of children's alcoholism will be resulted on posters, participants of the action will distribute leaflets with the information on this problem to passers-by, collect signatures under the reference in RK authorities,there’ll be also carried out gallup poll among passers-by.
The first association which arises when we speak about Russia among many foreigners is a drunkenness. In fact, alcohol in our country has strongly taken the niche in a modern society. Each seventh Russian is the alcoholic. For a long time there was habitual for us a picture of the drunk 13-years teenager with a bottle of beer in a hand in streets of city. Everyone speaks about this problem, but nobody accepts concrete measures. If advertising of alcoholic drinks on TV is forbidden in the afternoon by the law after 22.00 on youth which just only takes seat in front of blue screens, the never-ending stream of plots about " a foamy drink " falls. Television heroes of the majority of the Russian serials " cops and special agents" - idols of youth - drink spirits. Beer is considered to be low alcohol drink in Russia, nevertheless, it is already proved for a long time, that easy alcoholic drinks essentially as fast, as well as vodka can promote development of alcoholism. The special attention should be given to the development of alcoholism among children and teenagers . It is proved,that the child gets in alcoholic dependence in three - four times faster, than the adult, it’s proved by the anatomico- physiological features of a children's organism which quickly gets used to alcoholic drinks. The data of official statistics testify to growth of abusing by alcohol among teenagers. For the period from 1991 to 2000 the number of the firstly diagnosed teenagers, sick with alcoholism has grown in 1.5 times and has made 10,5 on 100 thousand teenagers. Sociological polls testify, that with this or that frequency more than 80 % of young people in the age of 12-24 years take alcoholic drinks, according to a personal confession. Each third teenager in the age of 12 years drinks beer, and in the age of 13 years - two from every three. Vodka and wine drink up to third of young people. Mass consumption of beer teenagers and youth begin on the average in 12 years, wine - in 15 years, vodka - in 16 years. Motives of the use of alcohol in this group basically were similar - " pleasant spending of time ", " being as all ", " feeling themselves the adult ", " desire to relax, or taking off a pressure". Each Russian on statistics drinks 14 litres of pure spirit and washs down it with 30 litres of beer in one year. For the last five years the quantityof of beer amateurs among pupils and students of Karelia steadily grows, frequency of the use and volume of the drunk beer increase. For last three years the growth of alcoholism has increased for 8,8% in Karelia. The number of juvenile teenagers who address in a narcological clinic steadily grows every year. More than 50 % violations of the law are accomplished by teenagers in a state of intoxication. We can see advertisement of alcoholic production everywhere, and in shop " Borodino ", for example, that on street. Kuibyshev, it’s called to buy alcoholic drinks in several languages.They don’t care how it works on teenagers and children. Adults do not advertise yoghurts!
It is necessary for authorities to take immediate concrete measures which will really work and yield results:
- To forbid any advertising and propagation of alcoholic drinks;
- To reinforce the control over realization of alcoholic production;
- To toughen official penalties, down to criminal punishments for sale of alcoholic drinks to teenagers and children, and for drinking of alcoholic drinks in public places;
- To equate beer to alcoholic drinks, and to authorize sale only when a person is 21 years;
- To raise the state control over production and selling alcoholic drinks;
- To increase cost of alcoholic drinks.
- To create the precise long-term program with state financing on preventive maintenance of harmful habits among teenagers.
Statistics across Karelia:
The child - till 15 years, the teenager - from15 to 18 years.
Alcoholic psychosis till 18 years:
2002 - 1 teenager,
2003-2 teenagers,
2004 - no,
2005-1 teenager;
alcoholism:
2002-7 teenagers,
2003-7 teenagers, 1 child (till 15 years),
2004-12 teenagers,
2005-12 teenagers (4 teenagers from Petrozavodsk),
Abuse:
On republic:
2002-207 persons (265 teenagers, 42 children),
2003-274 persons (249 teenagers, 25 children),
2004-258 persons (234 teenagers, 24 children),
Across Petrozavodsk:
2005-115 persons (109 teenagers, 6 children; from them 81are boys, 34 girls);
Social staff:
9 persons are from adverse families,
9 person are from inferior families,
4 persons are registered in inspection on affairs of minors,
8 persons are inmates of children's homes,
7 persons are persons,whose parents are deprived the parental rights,
5 person who are left for the second year;

The data are given by the Narcological clinic of Karelia.
In Russia 2 millions children are alcoholics, 56 thousand from them are younger than 14 years. 13 thousand children has died out of the use alcohol, and in 2001 - 20 thousandThe main reason for children's alcoholism is the consumption of beer: “They don’t need much.” Only two half-liter jars of beer in a week for the teenager is already high probability of that will develop alcoholism.