NO BOUNDARIES –
Aug. 19, 2025 – In times of war, the burden of SUDs deepens. War fuels substance use through trauma, displacement, and breakdown of services, while simultaneously weakening the health and social systems needed to respond. The result is a dangerous feedback loop: the conditions of war worsen addiction, and widespread addiction in turn undermines recovery, resilience, and security. Prolonged conflict, economic disruption, and psychological strain are driving rising substance use and addiction, with grave implications for both public health and national stability.
Substance use patterns have shifted and diversified in Ukraine. Military personnel and veterans, under extreme stress and trauma, increasingly turn to alcohol and other substances – as self-medication, stress and pain relief. Among civilians, especially displaced or unemployed men, alcohol use has surged. Young people, facing uncertainty and disruption to education and employment, are more vulnerable to risky substance use. People with pre-existing mental health conditions, survivors of violence, and those who inject drugs face compounded risks, as instability, inadequate services, and stigma limit their access to care. Internally displaced persons confront multiple stressors – housing insecurity, fractured support networks, and exposure to trauma – that heighten vulnerability across all forms of addiction.
