The effects of alcohol, drugs and psychoactive substances falsely and in the short term fill the void in young people, and active consumption leads to a negative change in the value system.
This was assessed by the interlocutors of "Vijesti" and warned that it will not be possible to prevent the consequences if society does not monitor the development of young people more carefully.
A recently presented survey by the Institute for Education and the NGO Forum MNE showed that almost a third of Montenegrin students - 31,7 percent, aged 13 to 18, occasionally, regularly or often consume alcoholic beverages.
A survey conducted among 7.524 students showed that, apart from 31,7 who admitted to consuming alcohol, 11 percent of students did not want to answer that question, while 57 percent claimed that they had never tried alcoholic beverages...
That alcohol is not the only problem is also shown by the results of the International Police Organization survey from last year, when 70 percent of children gave a positive answer that there are people who sell drugs in schools.
Miscultivation of tolerance
Psychologist at the Clinical Center of Montenegro (KCCG) Andjela Golubovic she warned that sudden world changes often affect the psyche of a young person, forcing them to surrender to vices.
"When we talk about addiction to alcohol and psychoactive substances, we must mention the psychological theory of dislocation. Sometimes we feel as if the rhythm of global processes is slipping away from us, i.e. as if we were running after our own train. In any case, mass dislocation is our reality and we are witnessing 'economic reality' and consumerism. Consequently, we treat ourselves as commodities, which makes us far less sentimentally attached to traditional values, and more and more permanent interactions between us and close others are absent, which inevitably leads to alienation from family and local reference groups. This dislocation together with social and individual fragmentation leads to an increase in anxiety, depression and addiction to psychoactive substances", Golubović told "Vijesti".
He points out that in Montenegro "a tolerant attitude towards drinking alcoholic beverages is cultivated, which is a very wrong procedure".
"Moderate drinking is a risk for the later development of the disease, and for the prevention and suppression of alcoholism it would be much better to develop a cult of sobriety. The reality is the following - the life expectancy of alcoholics and people who use drugs is a third shorter than that of sober people. It is a misconception that a hangover can be treated, but in fact the concentration of alcohol in the blood decreases at a rate that cannot be influenced. A common misconception is that alcohol warms the body, and this is a common misconception among skiers in Montenegro," she explains.
The cult of values is problematic
The interlocutor of "Vijesti" assesses that "today's cult of values is problematic" and that parents should monitor their children's behavior more actively.
"Parents today have little understanding that children intentionally exhibit behavior that is considered sick/deviant. Today, parents react to their children's inappropriate behavior by coming up with and inventing explanations for why they behave in a certain way. "Parents who are in symbiosis with their children react to teachers' objections and complaints as if those lecturers are cold, repulsive persons, and they do not understand that a clear structure affects the children's reliable orientation," Golubović pointed out.
He notes that "social structures cannot be the only culprit for children's deviant behavior, but that the responsibility lies with everyone".
"This ideological upgrade makes it possible to exclude the individual responsibility of parents and pedagogical staff for the psychological development of children and to demand changes within the socio-political conditions. At the same time, it is lost sight of that forwarding the problem to therapists and politics cannot lead to changes," said the KCCG psychologist.
According to the opinion of the "Vijesti" interlocutor, children learn a lot from the model and thus acquire bad life habits.
"The child is tied to the 'family system'. Therefore, if a child is presented to me, I can only understand him if I understand him as part of that system and take into account the various interactions within that system. So, after the individual diagnosis of the child, a structural diagnosis related to the family follows", said Golubović.
Lučić: The state should implement restrictive policies
Sociologist Zeljko Lucic explains that alcohol consumption by young people, especially children, can have a serious impact on their social position.
"Recent research has shown that social position does not make a statistically significant difference between social classes, that is, that this problem is present regardless of social position. Many findings of sociologists of deviant behavior have shown that this type of behavior can lead to the stigmatization of young people, making it difficult for them to integrate into society and limiting access to education and business progress. All this can have a strong impact on their motivation to study and look for a job, which additionally leads to disappointment and an increase in problems with vices", said Lučić.
He believes that parents and schools must be "more serious actors in the responsible behavior of teenagers".
"It is important to emphasize that the responsibility is not exclusively theirs. Society, including institutions and parents, should work together to create an environment that encourages healthy lifestyles. The sociology of pathology emphasizes the importance of institutions such as family and school in shaping the behavior of young people. Parents and schools have a key role in preventing this behavior by strengthening positive social norms, such as networks of support and understanding, which can create an environment where young people do not feel the need to escape into vices. It is important that institutions focus on support, instead of only on punishment and false moralizing," said Lučić.
The key steps in reducing the use of psychoactive substances among young people, Lučić believes, are "strengthening education about harmful consequences, controlling the availability of alcohol and tightening the penalties for catering facilities that do not respect the law".
"The state has an important role in implementing adequate policies and laws and supporting preventive initiatives. It is important to set realistic goals and carefully monitor the situation, in order not to produce certain counter-effects (what various inhibitions can produce). It is necessary to investigate the problem with quality, but also to offer insight into preventive measures. The state can invest in education about the harmful consequences of consumption, while the local community can work to create a supportive environment. Restrictions on the sale of alcohol to young people and stronger support for families struggling with this problem are also some of the key steps," concludes Lučić.
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