Sociological Research on the Epidemiology of Dependencies in Ukraine

Abstract

The paper analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of medical, sociological and criminological epidemiological studies of the relation. The basis of the analysis is represented by the epidemiological studies conducted by Kharkiv sociologists (I.P.Ruschenko, A.A.Serduk), Kiev sociologists (O.I. Balakireva) and Kharkiv narcologists (I.V.Linsky, A.I.Minko). It is concluded that the results of these studies confirm each other. Analysis of the monitoring data for health statistics of the Ministry of Health reveals stabilization and reduction of the narcological incidence and prevalence of substance abuse. This trend also applies both to drug addiction, and alcoholism. The main trend found out among the results of the project ESPAD that is being implemented since 1995, is stabilization and slight decline of the indicators of use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs among Ukrainian youth. Monitoring data "Youth and Drugs" show two main trends of drug distribution. The first one reflects overall reduction of consumption of drugs among young people. The second reveals increase of the share of regular users of psychoactive substances on the background of a drop of episodic consumers.