Opinion from Estonia
DEPENDENCY DISORDERS IN INDEPENDENT ESTONIA
Anti Liiv
Estonian psychiatrist
What about alcohol and illicit drug problems in Estonia in 2005? A brief answer would be: it reflects the cultural history of Estonia (population 1.3 million).
Up to the 20th Century the most important agent of pleasure for Estonian consumers was alcohol. Over the last five centuries the favourite was beer. When at the beginning of the 18 th century some hundred miles from Estonian border a new capital of Russia ( St. Petersburg) was built, the new Russian elite consumed so much vodka, that the Baltic (German) lords in local manors understood possible good business to sell many oak barrels of vodka in this enormous market. With this idea of vodka-business the development of modern Estonian market-economy started. However, it pushed the Estonian farmer to also steal more and more vodka for himself. The consumption of alcohol (alcohol production and selling was state monopoly at that time) was quite low in Estonia – at the end of 1930s only 3.0 litres of absolute alcohol per person per year.
The situation changed after WWII. Russian occupation- government in Estonia increased alcohol selling and did it with low prices. Step by step Estonians started to drink more, parallel to the immigration of Russian-speaking workers to Estonia (Russian speaking migration was mainly to big towns in the northern part of Estonia – Narva, Kohtla-Järve, Sillamäe, Paldiski, Tallinn; to the rural areas it was minimal). In 1982 the alcohol consumption was 11.2 litres of absolute alcohol annually/per person. The Estonian state registered 26,000 alcohol dependent persons – about 2% of Estonian population at that time. The consumption of illegal drugs was not worth mentioning - about 0.02% (or ca 260 persons).
Re-independent Estonia in 1990s
When re-independence was established in Estonia (1991), the state monopoly of alcohol production and selling came to an end. The alcohol market became very liberal. Also the background of data-collecting totally changed. According to the new-style data-collecting, the alcohol consumption is approximately 50% lower. But the locals can tell how many new bars and pubs have been opened during last 15 years, how many adults have become hard-drinkers, and how much family violence has risen during the last 10 years. Also, the state register of alcoholics was discontinued, so it is hard to determine how large the alcohol dependent part of the population in Estonia in 2005 actually is.
New phenomenon – large illicit drug consumption in Estonia
In 1990s a new phenomenon in Estonia started, namely illicit drug consumption. It started and is still rising among teenagers and young adults up to 30 years of age. If in 1980 this phenomenon was totally unknown, in 2005 Estonian students opinion is: the smoking of cannabis is very normal, safe and common in Estonian life. Also it is quite common to have the opinion that cannabis must be legalised in Estonia in the coming years. Probably in 10 years it will be an acute political problem in Estonia. Perhaps 10-20% of students from different schools already have their own experience smoking cannabis. At the same time – it is more common in town schools than in rural schools. It is a common opinion among students of the urban schools, that it is very easy to buy cannabis.
After the cannabis (as gateway) they often consume other illegal drugs.
Estonian-speaking and Russian-speaking people consume different illicit drugs
Attitudes toward consumption of illicit drugs are different among Estonian and Russian speaking parts of the population. The Russian-speaking part is apt to use heroin as the next step, but the Estonian-speaking population uses more amphetamines. Cocaine is also used in Estonia, more among 20 to 35 year-olds “the bold and beautiful” people. If we want to compare, the prices of illicit drugs on the Estonian black-market are significantly lower than they are in Canada or USA.
In the northern part of Estonia (Narva, Kohtla-Järve, Sillamäe, Paldiski, Tallinn) the older generation (40-70 years old) of Russian-speaking population often consumes illegal alcohol (it is sometimes expected that up to ¼ to 1/3 of alcohol consumed in Estonia is illegal), which has a local Russian nickname “samagon” (moonlight), but for local authorities it is known as an old problem and not as horrible as intravenous heroin consumption.
HIV as complication
It is expected that by 2005 there will be about 13 000 (1% of population) heroin-dependent persons in Estonia, apart from amphetamine and cocaine dependent persons. Also, it is quite common in Estonia that a dependent person is consuming all he/she can pick up (from alcohol and cannabis to heroin). Due to the lack of a state register, nobody knows the real numbers of dependent persons. Information about their social background is not known (what was their social status before they started to use illicit drugs and pick up HIV).
Marriage is collapsing
The situation has also become more difficult because the former role of family is dimishing: official marriage has become unpopular during last 15 years – more and more young couples prefer to live together some years and then change their partner. Even the students of the secondary schools (age 16 to 18) live together and the first sexual activity often starts at the age of 10 to 15. Members of the same age group also have their first experience with illicit drugs, so it is having far-reaching effects on increased HIV risk. At the same time, we cannot forget that, in Estonia, the birth-rate is negative: the Estonian local population is diminishing (-0.35% per year) and in forthcoming years Estonia must probably increase immigration in order to support Estonia’s weakening labour force. But this negative immigration ( in 2020-2040) will trigger their own new social problems and complications.
To conclude, Estonia has fulfilled her first three most important dreams: re-established independence and, in a short time of development, became a member of EU and NATO. Now it is suffering from a national identity crisis: what will be the next reason to unite the nation? If it is only money, then we pick up lot of social problems as well.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR : Anti Liiv (b. 1946) was born and raised on the island of Saaremaa. He graduated from Tartu University first as a physician, then as a psychologist. He is working as a psychiatrist on the island of Saaremaa and in Tallinn. He has published more than 500 articles, mainly in the area of mental health. He introduced AA in Estonia in 1987, and Parents against Drugs in 1992. Now he is working as psychiatrist in the Anti Liew & Soul Care Foundation.
