Drug addictions on the rise: Isn't 5000 too much?

There has recently been an increase in the number of drug addicts who turn to Psychiatric Medical Centre LLC drug addiction clinic, the Arthur Potosyan, a doctor from this centre told Tert.am.

In his words in 2001 only 7 drug addicts had been treated in the centre, while in 2009 that number had already reached 1000.
Potosyan pointed to various factors as reasons for this increase.

"A [process] of Europeanization is taking place, the youth are behaving more freely. Besides, there are more people now who turn to the clinic for treatment. If they were previously afraid of and were thinking that the drug clinic is part of the police, and a way of punishements, then today that mindset has already disappeared," explained Potosyan.

According to Potosyan expertise data show that there are 5000 intravenous drug addicts in Armenia.

He also said that among drugs widely used in Armenia are those made of marijuana and hemp.