Almost a third of Montenegrin students - 31,7 percent, aged 13 to 18, occasionally, regularly or often consume alcoholic beverages.
This was shown by the results of the research "Healthy culture of young people and alcohol use", which were presented yesterday by the acting director of the Institute for Education. Irena Pavlović, advisor at that institution Zoran Lalović and executive director of the NGO Forum MNE Jelena Fustic.
The research was conducted among 7.524 students, almost half of whom are in the final grades of elementary schools, and the rest are high school students.
Apart from 31,7 who admitted to consuming alcohol, 11 percent of students did not want to answer that question, while 57 percent claim that they have never tried alcoholic beverages.
The Association of Parents is also aware that alcohol is a huge problem among older elementary school students and among the high school population.
CEO Kristina Mihailović she said that, starting next month, the Association will "carry out activities to reduce the use of alcohol among young people to a minimum".
"Unfortunately, alcohol is very accessible to children at every step. It is absolutely not checked whether the law is followed. It is not checked whether they are minors, nor whether they are prohibited from using alcohol on that basis. The situation is similar with cafes. Alcoholic products are available to them everywhere, and even though the facilities are controlled by inspectors, they pay a fine and continue with their work. We should also think about their absolute blocking, that is, their closure. In addition to breaking the law, it is their absolute responsibility to take care of it," said Mihailović, adding that the numbers of young people who drink alcoholic beverages are worrying.
"Unfortunately, regular use of alcohol is socially acceptable in our country. We should ask ourselves where we are going wrong. From that side, we will try to influence the institutions of the system, but also the parents themselves," Mihailović said.
Dissatisfied with themselves, not interested in school
Counselor Lalović, during the presentation of the research results, said that "it is unusual that students who regularly consume alcohol are convinced that they know its harmful consequences."
"Of the total number of students who consume alcohol, 67 percent believe that they know the consequences of alcohol well enough or even very well. Those who know about it were very few, 5,9 percent, those who know the consequences on average were 20 percent...", said Lalović.
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He pointed out that in several analyzed schools, he noticed that there are "two types of classes where students consume alcohol".
"The first type are classes, and these are more common cases, where one or two students use alcohol. A rarer type are those classes where 10 or more students consume alcohol. The former were 15 percent, and the latter eight," said Lalović.
He emphasized that even 45 percent of respondents "do not show interest in school activities".
"These students' lack of interest in school reduces the institution's ability to influence students' attitudes and behavior through educational programs," said Lalović.
According to research results, the mental health of students who regularly consume alcohol is not good.
"Students who often consume alcohol experience failure. They have a lower level of frustration tolerance. Even 29 percent of them expressed frequent concern and anxiety about their future. Such students find it difficult to recover and have problems sleeping. In general, they are less satisfied with themselves," explained Lalović.
Out of 100 stores, 98 sold alcohol to a minor
Executive Director of Forum MNE Jelena Fustic she said that this organization is aimed at achieving the well-being of young people in Montenegro.
"The pandemic has reminded us that health must be in focus. I would emphasize that health literacy should not be tied to medical knowledge. Although the education system is a frequent address for answers to a large number of problems, it is still a sector in which very little is invested. Young people need a good support system, especially when it comes to alcohol. Our duty is to make them health literate, so that they know who they can talk to about their problems," said Fuštić.
Program manager of that organization Anjelija Lucic she said that research has a lot of data that can be used to create joint actions and initiatives.
"In Montenegro, young people grow up in an environment where alcohol consumption is accepted. It is easily accessible to them, and young people start consuming it in the upper grades of elementary school. Out of 100 stores analyzed, 98 sold alcohol to minors without any problems. This is very devastating information," Lucic said.
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