Fighting drug addiction is a priority in Bulgarian society and was recently central to a discussion including government officials, experts and opinion leaders. Some new ideas have emerged during discussions. One of them is that drug tests should become part of the annual medical check-ups of pupils. In the meantime, the Ministry of Interior has organized an information campaign with the mottos Together against Drugs and Children and Violence. A dedicated exhibition has been displayed in the Interior Ministry Museum in Sofia. Curator Pepa Vidarchinska says more:

„There is hardly a school in Sofia that has not organized a visit to this exhibition, and it further has 18 versions displayed in most of Bulgaria's big towns. It shows boards with information about narcotic drugs, diaries of drug addicts, drug tests, photographs and various documents. The exhibition recounts the history of various types of narcotic drugs - opium, heroin, morphine, marijuana etc. It provides tips on how to recognize drug addiction behavior and this is particularly useful for parents. The exhibition looks into drug addicts as persons who need medical treatment and understanding, instead of picturing them as criminals or scum. Criminals are the individuals who organize the production and distribution of drugs. When pupils aged 12-13 come to the museum it is inadequate to talk about laws, bans and restrictions. The most useful approach is to explain the tragedy of drug addiction. It is important to tell kids that no one is protected from drugs. There are many addicts who have high incomes and serious education backgrounds but despite all that something in their lives has gone wrong.”

Dimitar Karagegov works for an NGO which supports drug addicts. Here is his point of view to this issue:

“The biggest problem among teenagers is that they buy drugs from their classmates. It is no secret that drugs are often distributed by pupils, at the end of the sales chain. These kids have absolutely no idea what they sell. We have recently seen many cases of teenagers who are hospitalized after they have smoked something like marijuana. In fact these are the new synthetic cannabinoids made in China. They are very cheap but can be fatal for the human system. The problem is that the appearance of the new synthetic drugs in Bulgaria's streets is a function of the so-called combating narcotic drugs. Once a substance comes under a ban it goes straight into the hands of street criminals. Demand for it begins to rise, and its substitutes are being sought. For example, the most common way to take cocaine before it was criminalized was by using coca leaves. The wine with coca leaves was the favorite drink of Catholic priests and of the queens of England who made responsible decisions and never slipped into addiction.”

English Daniela Konstantinova