The economic crisis has led many Greeks to drug, gambling and internet addiction, according to figures from the Therapy Center for Dependent Individuals (KETHEA).
Speaking to the Athens News Agency, Northern Greece KETHEA director Phaedon Kaloterakis explained that the increase in addicts is both quantitative and qualitative.
Kaloterakis said that more and more people turn to substances, or gambling or the internet to escape the harsh reality of recession-hit Greece. At the same time, more and more addicts do not have the means to cover basic needs such as food and shelter.
In particular, there is a rise in alcoholism for men in the 40-50 age group, while at the same time, there is an increase in the number of women of the same age group who are addicted to psychotropic drugs.
As regards to the types of popular substances, these are determined by the economic crisis, with more people turning to cheaper drugs: “Since the users find it difficult to continue using expensive substances, they turn to cheaper ones such as crystal methamphetamine, which costs approximately two euros in the street market, but is a highly dangerous substance, or synthetic cannabinoids the consumption of which is high in northern Greece but not in Attica,” said the Northern Greece KETHEA director.
“The paradox is that while there is this upsurge in addictions, the number of people who work in rehabilitation, and not in KETHEA only, is shrinking due to retirement or migration, and these people are not replaced. Because of the crisis there are less of us, and along with that the quality of services is also declining,” Kaloterakis said.
The KETHEA director also said that very few people enter rehabilitation centers and even fewer integrate in society after rehabilitation. He underlined that the high unemployment rate does not allow former addicts to integrate in society.
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