Marginalized Roma Youth in Slovakia and the Czech Republic

Peter Vazan, a 2010-11 Short-Term Travel Grant (STG) fellow, writes about the links between poverty, marginalization and substance abuse among Roma children in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The following is part of a series of blog pieces from our US scholars, who are conducting research in the field.

The Roma people are presumably the most stigmatized population in modern Europe suffering disproportionately from high rates of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, crime, and disease. Because of unacceptable gaps that exist between the majority population and Roma in a number of domains (e.g., housing, health, education, and employment), the issue of Roma integration presents one of the greatest challenges especially for the governments of Eastern European countries where the majority of Roma live. Scores of Roma reside in rural settlements made largely of shanties, which are often without gas, running water, and sewerage system. The unhealthy living conditions are further exacerbated by high rates of smoking and drinking, and in some communities also by inhalant abuse—a form of high risk behavior that has not been studied systematically in this population.

My research focused on sniffing or huffing of volatile solvents, particularly toluene (used in glues and paint thinners), which is the drug of choice among Roma youth in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. I interviewed 20 community workers in seven Roma settlements in eastern Slovakia with a population of approximately 17,000 people. The estimated number of chronic toluene abusers in these settlements is around 350, out of which 15% are children below 10 years of age.

Likewise, in some Czech cities, toluene sniffing is common among school-aged Roma children. Toluene is cheap and easily available because it is legal. This choice of drug actually sets Roma children apart and deepens their isolation from their peers from the majority population who prefer other drugs, like marijuana, and regard toluene sniffing with contempt.

Unfortunately, there is little knowledge about the dangers and long-term consequences of toluene sniffing, which has often devastating effects on the nervous system and causes other serious health problems (e.g., kidney failure, tremors, and epileptic seizures). In Slovakia, treatment for inhalant abuse is usually provided in psychiatric clinics, but is mostly not effective and the clients relapse soon after returning home.

In addition to the interviews, I also asked Roma youth (through questionnaires) about their living situation, life ambitions, and dreams. I found that virtually none of the respondents aspire to go to college and that very few of the older ones even finished high school. Many girls get pregnant at the age of 15, which is one of the reasons for dropping out of school. However, even those who are able to finish, for example, technical schools have difficulty finding jobs because many employers simply won’t hire Roma.

The Short-Term Travel Grant opportunity allowed me to examine links between poverty, segregation, marginalization, discrimination, and substance abuse among Roma. It appears that the only way out from the vicious circle of poverty, unemployment, dependence on the welfare system, and alcohol and drug addiction is through integration, non-discrimination, and education. The importance of research needs to be highlighted in this effort. Without understanding the problems, their extent and causes, many investments and efforts will just miss the target.

To learn more about Peter Vazan's research in Slovakia and the Czech Republic during his STG fellowship, read his research brief here.