“You Are Not Alone” Campaign Warns Bulgarian Teens About the Dangers of Gambling

“You Are Not Alone” is a national-level awareness campaign in Bulgaria, aimed at educating students about the dangers of drug and gambling addiction, and during the 2024/25 academic year, the campaign reached over 6,300 children and teenagers.

“You Are Not Alone” Campaign Raises Awareness about Gambling and Drug Addiction

Led by the National Revenue Agency (NRA) and the Customs Agency, the initiative has seen schools and other educational establishments across the Balkan country host lectures on topics regarding synthetic drugs, online gambling exposure, and social media influences. The joint campaign was launched last summer and builds on the long-standing initiative of the Anti-Drug Trafficking Department. The department has been educating students about drug-related issues for more than 23 years. “You Are Not Alone” is also backed by numerous well-known personalities from the worlds of music, theater, and sports.

The most recent outreach event was held in Svilengrad on 19 June, attracting more than 300 students who participated in a live demonstration and educational session. Key speakers included Stefan Bakalov, head of the Customs Agency’s Anti-Drug Trafficking Department, and Anna Mitova, director of communications at the NRA, who led discussions on the psychological and financial impacts of addiction. In front of a packed hall, Bakalov delivered a presentation, educating the teenagers on the harmful effects of various types of drugs. 

To conclude the session, officers from the Anti-Drug Trafficking Department conducted a live demonstration using trained customs dogs, Adele and Gary, to search for narcotics. Some students even took an active part in the demonstrations.

Mitova Talks About Gambling Addiction in Bulgaria

The Director of the Communications Directorate at the NRA pointed out that during the campaign’s visits to schools, the team has summed up that a large part of the children have already had contact with gambling, despite it being prohibited for those under 18. She emphasized that the primary objective of the campaign is to raise awareness among young people about the risks associated with both drug and gambling addiction, as a growing link between them is being recognized. 

One contributing factor to children being exposed to gambling content could be sports. A recent study concluded that gambling sponsorships are growing in influence in European soccer, with Bulgaria being a country that has seen a lot of its teams being financed in part by various betting providers.

Mitova also noted that over 45,000 individuals are currently listed in the NRA’s register of gambling-vulnerable persons. Following a recent legislative change that extended the registration period from 30 days to 12 months, there has been a noticeable decrease in the number of requests for removal from the list, alongside an increase in new registrations. The appeal to those struggling with addiction, or who believe they may be at risk, is to register in the gambling-vulnerable persons list as a way to safeguard themselves.