A politcafe “Alcoholism: is there a way out?” took place in Ulan-Ude in the Museum of Culture and Art of Buryatia on the 3 July 2008. Organized by the social inclusion PMT, Regional Union of Young Scholars and Human Rights Movement “Erkhe”, it gathered together around 50 people from different organizations, ranging from the Narcological Dispanser to the Ministry of Interior. According to the definition by World Health Organization, alcoholism is a chronic, fatally dangerous and non-curable disease characterized by pathological physiological and psychological dependency on alcohol. Alcoholism is one of the gravest problems in Buryatia responsible for increasing death and traumatism rates as well as serious family and personal problems. At the same time within the society there is no consensus of opinion regarding the nature of the phenomenon. For the majority of people alcoholism still is rather a ‘bad habit’ or a vice than a disease. There is another side of the problem: encouragement of alcohol abuse by the society, which recognizes it as a norm, supports alcoholic in his\her rejection of the disease, and enrolls new members in alcoholics’ rows. There is a way out! Inviting all concerned with the problem of alcoholism in Buryatia to the discussion, we wished to give positive information about the ways to overcome the problem. In the discussion “Alcoholism: is there a way out?” took part: Tatyana Rodovikova, trainer-consultant in (co-)dependency of the SCG training center, Zinaida Mikhailova, head of prophylactics department of the Narcological Dispanser of the Ministry of Health of the Buryat Republic, Andrey Laptev, representative of the Ministry of Interior, Tatyana Parpaeva, of the Youth Committee of the Ministry of Education, Vladimir Sazhin, secretary of the Buryat Regional Committee of the Communist Party, Alexandr Abiduev of the Edinaya Rossia party, Natalia Lhasaranova, of the Young Guards of Edinaya Rossia. During brain storm the following proposals to a new law of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Buryatia were collected: • To limit sell of alcohol and tobacco items in time, place and economically; • To give attention to a young family; • To increase the number of social commercials in the media; • To put ‘STOP’ signs in shops prohibiting sell of alcohol and tobacco items to minors; • To toughen sanctions against sellers on the local level; • To use foreign and national positive experience of combating the problem; • To organize a youth festival; • To initiate radio and TV shows on the problem; • To organize a call center aimed to satisfy info hunger about alcoholism problem. The event was covered by a TV channel “Arig Us” and local papers. It was decided that Politcafe on the problem of alcoholism in Buryatia would be just the first step in the future activities in the field of prophylactics and aid to those who want to free themselves from dependency and co-dependency.

Fairy tale in “Malyshok.”

Round table in Buryat to commemorate the International Year of Languages.