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A file photo of Swedish church |
STOCKHOLM, July 22 (IslamOnline.net) – Many youths in Northern Europe have abandoned political participation and church, resorting to drug addiction in record numbers, a new Swedish study as well as newspaper unveiled.
The study, conducted by Goteborg, one of Sweden’s largest and popular universities, found a lack of interest in local, regional and international politics among young men and women in Northern Europe.
Teenagers in southern Europe have proven more eager to join the political life and take part in demonstrations, unlike their peers in north European countries as Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Island, it added.
The study found that 75% of young people in Sweden are willing to vote in elections compared to 91% and 87% in Denmark and Norway respectively.
Those interested in becoming active in politics or running for elections was put at 21% in Sweden and Norway, 15% in Denmark and Finland.
However, the percentage rises up to 45% in Cyprus, 40% in Portugal and 32% in Greece.
The university study surveyed 70,000 youths from 28 European countries.
Stability
Analysts have attributed the political inertia to stability north European countries are enjoying.
Youths are unable to have their voice heard in these northern European countries, said Eric Amano, a political science professor at Goteborg University and one of the study supervisors.
Rebwar Hassan, the Green Party’s representative in Stockholm, said northern Europe countries have stable atmosphere compared with a tense one in other countries.
Large and small parties in Sweden and Northern Europe have complained of absence of young faces, with some partisan leaders staying in office for more than 20 years.
Church desertion
According to the church magazines, teenagers in northern Europe have stopped attending churches.
Churches are mostly frequented by the elderly on only certain occasions, while others visit churches as tourist and historic attractions, the magazines added.
In Sweden, for example, around 3000 Swedes are no longer church goers and have even stopped paying money to churches.
This prompted the Swedish Christian Democratic Party to ask the government for allowing Christian religion syllabuses in classes.
The move is designated to uphold religious principles and fight drug addiction and suicide along with other social ills.
Rampant Drugs
Drug addiction has become rampant among ninth-grade pupils, according to Swedish Sesam newspaper.
At least 14% of students in Stockholm schools are using drugs, while the percentage reaches 17 in other areas.
The paper described the situation as "catastrophic", saying security bodies and social institutions should take urgent steps to address the crisis.
Due to drug addiction, 104 teenagers had died in 1987 and the number rose to 282 in 2000.
Drug abuse increased in Sweden in the 1990s, with a marked increase in the number of intravenous drug users, such as amphetamine and heroin addicts.
But Swedish municipalities have earmarked huge sums to support institutions that help children steer away from trying drugs in an effort to create a drug-free society.
In Sweden, both the possession and manufacture of drugs are criminal offenses.
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