A rehabilitation centre for drug addicts and alcoholics to be opened in the Arkhangelsk region

A rehabilitation center for drug addicts and alcoholics will be opened in the Arhhangelsk region with support of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The head of press service of the Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory diocese deacon Valery Suvorov reported that the opening of the center would be possible in the framework of an agreement to be signed by the diocese and the State drug control service in the Arkhangelsk region in the nearest future.

‘The agreement will help coordinate efforts for preventing drug addiction and assisting people with this dangerous addiction’, he said.

Besides the rehabilitation center, there are plans to hold ‘round table’ meeting on the problems of drug addiction, to work with the youth, and to install the trust telephone line. All this would be done with active support of the ‘Arkhangelsk against Drugs’ public organization.

‘We must allow people to know that drug addiction is an illness of the soul, rather than a physical disease. We must tell them about faith as a source of spiritual health, as people who believe in God can be cured of any disease. This is the first and foremost mission of the Orthodox Church’, deacon Valery underscored.