Giant Pill Statue Mocks Stress of Macedonian Life

Photo by: BIRN

In a “guerilla” action, street artists in Macedonia’s capital have put up a statue of a giant anti-depressant pill, inspired by data showing that huge numbers of people in the country take anti-stress pills.

Data from the State Health Fund show use of anti-stress medications and anti-depressants rose by 30 per cent from 2010 to 2013 to 1.6 million prescriptions a year. It is seen as a lot for a country with a population of just over 2 million.

Estimates are that the number of prescribed anti-depressants in 2015 may have surpassed the 2 million mark.

The giant pill also appears to mock the ongoing government-sponsired revamp of the capital, called Skopje 2014, which has seen the erection of many lavish new buildings and statues in the centre inspired by the artistical style of Classical Antiquity.

The cost of the controversial revamp of the city has reached 633 million euros, a BIRN investigation shows.

The official unemployment rate in Macedonia is 28 per cent and the average monthly salary is around 300 euro. According to UN statistics some 30 per cent of the population live below the poverty line.

Photo by: BIRN

Photo by: BIRN