UKRAINE Projects
Link Romania have been sending Shoeboxes to the Ukraine for several years and are now supporting several education and social care projects in the country. Below is a report from our partners in the Ukraine that gives some of the reasons why Link Romania wants to lend a hand to support these excellent projects.
Alcohol and drug consumption in Ukraine
Report by Misha
Recently, Vasulko was admitted to intensive care of children’s hospital in Lviv. After party with his friends, this student was in alcohol induced coma. According to anesthetist, the boy was admitted in critical conditions due to excessive consumption of alcohol. The doctor states that the boy was lucky that other friends called for help. In these cases usually children end up dead. Vasulko was raised in a nice family. However, this is not the first time he used alcohol. According to the research, children and teenagers who constantly taste alcohol are slower in their development and they may quickly become alcohol dependent. According to the doctors at the children hospital in Lviv, they are never were short on underage patients who suffer alcohol poisoning. In the past majority of children admitted were from poor and less privilaged families.
According to latest statistics, today, significantly younger teenagers are using alcohol and drugs. When talking about alcohol, average age is 11-12 years old, and in some cases, they can be age of 9. Drugs are used a bit later when they reach 13-14. Teenagers start with marihuana and when they are 15-16 continue with ecstasy, amphetamine, and heroin. When they are 18 it’s hard to talk about drug dependency if their use is limited and occasional. However, by the age of 20 they can become drug use dependent if start as teenager.
In Lviv Region, there are 399 teenagers listed as drug users with the local police. Treatments for those in need are voluntary. However, parents are very afraid of their children being registered on the police list. It is even worse when teenagers get caught because of alcohol or drug usage. Every day, on the streets of our city we are faced with crime committed by teenagers or even children. It leads to questions as to why do those teenagers commit crimes? How did they end up with this type of life? As a result of teenage crimes, in Ukraine there are a number of teenage prisons and correctional facilities.
The goal of the church is to play significant role which is different of that social agencies should play. The purpose of the church is not to punish, but to help teenager determine problem and come to a solution. Usually after teenagers leave prisons or correctional facilities, it’s almost impossible for them to succeed in life such as finding job, housing, and friends.