A new study published by the Environmental Science & Technology Review has revealed that Greeks may have been turning to both legal and illegal drugs to cope with the stress.
After the Greek economic crisis struck in 2010, public sector funding was aggressively slashed and unemployment reached 30%. Researchers analyzed wastewater in Athens between 2010 and 2014 and found alarming jumps in levels of ulcer and hypertension medications, along with antipsychotics, antidepressants, and other psychoactive drugs.
Since 2010, there was a 35-fold increase in antipsychotics, a 19-fold increase in benzodiazepines, and an 11-fold increase in antidepressants, the study unfolds.
“The study shows the way that our society operates in real time”, the Head of Chemical and Engineering News Magazine, Nikolas Thomaidis said.