The directors of the National Revenue Agency (NRA), Rumen Spetsov, and the Customs Agency, Georgi Dimov, have launched a large-scale informational campaign against drug and gambling addictions.
Alarming data indicates that every second person in the country engages in gambling, with nearly 40,000 people registered as gambling addicts. The majority of them are young people. The age of those addicted to drugs is also decreasing, with children as young as 13 already becoming addicted to drugs.
This is why the "You Are Not Alone" campaign is focused on young people. It kicked off last night with a major concert in Nessebar.
One of the campaign's stars, singer Todor Dimitrov – Torino, emotionally addressed the young people: "We believe that if we don’t set a good example for all the children and adolescents on how to move forward without these vices, we can do much better; the path can be sweeter and better."
Performers who say "no" to addictions include Dara, 100 Kila, B.T.R, and many other famous personalities. They urge their fans not to become prisoners of gambling and drugs.
Actress Gergana Stoyanova also appealed to young people: "I would tell young people to develop themselves and pursue what they want to achieve because courage will not come from gambling, which will only lead to addiction, nor from drugs, which will also lead to addiction. But you can build courage by developing your skills."
This is life. Even without realizing it, young people can become victims of drugs. Dealers are becoming more inventive, with over 2,500 types of synthetic drugs available, some specifically designed to appeal to children.
"Across Europe, the age limit is dropping and is now around 13 years. This is an extremely vulnerable age for any child, so we cannot leave them alone. Nowadays, there are many ways to obtain drugs, and children are not lagging in using these opportunities. They know all the options the internet and online trade offer, so they use these methods and don't just buy from street dealers," said Stefan Bakalov, head of the Anti-Drug Trafficking Department at the Customs Agency.
The campaign informs children about all the dangers and also shows interesting details on how drugs are detected without fail. This is done by 4-year-old Gary, one of the 20 customs dogs trained to find drugs in seconds.
The campaign also highlights another addiction among young people—gambling. Special lists track those who are addicted and involved in betting.
"In this age group—18 to 23 years—there are about 250,000 individuals registered to gamble. The problems associated with gambling addiction are very serious, so our efforts are focused on reaching young people and truly addressing this serious issue to prevent it," said Anna Mitova, Director of the Communications Department at the NRA.
Demonstrations about the risks of gambling and drugs continue in other cities. This time, social networks are helping. Special video clips inform about all the risks. The organizers are convinced that if you know the risks, it's much easier to protect yourself.
Source: KROSS Agency, photos: BTA.
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