Ukrainian Greek Catholics Combat Alcohol Addiction
According to a poll conducted among the schoolchildren of Ternopil by the the subcommission For a Sober Life of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) as part of a project "Consultative and Educational Center to Support Alcohol Addicts and Their Family Members in the City of Ternopil," approximately 5 million people in Ukraine suffer from various alcohol addictions.
According the official website of the UGCC, 33% of schoolchildren responded that they first drank alcohol in the family, 50% of the respondents said that they drank alcohol for the first time at the age of 12-17 to cheer up, to be "like everyone else," and to forget about problems; over 75% for the first time used such kinds of alcohol as beer, champagne, or wine. During the last year, the workers of the committee visited over 50 educational institutions of Ternopil Oblast, where they familiarized young people with possible consequences of irresponsible use of alcohol.
In addition, in 12 parishes of the Ternopil-Zboriv Eparchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, "Books of Soberness" were created in which the faithful swear not to use alcohol for a specific period of time. During the first two days of existence of the book in the Ternopil cathedral, over 200 people took an oath not to drink.
The next stage of the activity of the committee is the work with addicted or co-addicted children. There is also consultation available for children in Ternopil. Consultative-educational centers are soon to be opened in Lviv and Stryi.
