Penza, 11 January 2016. PenzaNews. The Penza Church of Supreme Apostles St. Peter and Paul founded a new social project to help people break free of alcohol and tobacco addiction.

The first meeting was held on Sunday, January 10.

The special course that will be held for 12 Sundays in a row was developed by research and instructional program experts of the Russian Brotherhood of St. John the Baptist “Sobriety,” the press service of the Penza diocese told PenzaNews agency.

Rather than resorting to medical means, the course seeks to persuade the people addicted to alcohol and tobacco to abandon to give up their harmful habits.

The meetings are held by Archpriest Alexiy Gorshkov, head of the parish templary by the church.

The project brings together the people tormented by the addiction, as well as their relatives who see moderate alcohol consumption as acceptable and give alcohol to their family members as well.

A total of three such courses will be held in 2016.