Minors who drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes can become dependent on these vices, while the damage caused by them is evident. Smoking and drinking of alcohol at an early age leads to behavioral deficiencies and affects mental development.
Director of the National Narcological Dispensary Mihai Oprea has told IPN that statistics concerning smoking and drinking of alcohol among minors for the last few years are alarming. Many start to smoke and to drink alcohol when they are at school. The National Narcological Dispensary annually receives notifications from parents and teachers, who inform about deviant behaviors in children following smoking and drinking of alcohol.
According to the Chisinau Police Division, the police have identified 30 cases of sale of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products to minors since the start of summer. In all these cases, the economic entities were fined. Some of the parents were also fined, 400 lei, for leaving the minors without supervision.
