SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 31 Aug. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, through the General Directorate of Public Health of the Canary Health Service (SCS), has prepared the ‘IV Canary Plan on Addictions 2022-2024’ which, after being approved by the Council of Government, will be sent to Parliament for final approval.
This document opens the door as an emerging addiction, the capacity of information and communication technologies, the increase in the consumption of certain drugs with a high addictive power, or the strong link between drug use and gender violence, which raises the continuous need for training and updating of the policies and actions to be carried out in this area, collects a note from the Ministry of Health.
This fourth plan is the result of the collaboration of different instances, public administrations, non-profit entities of the third sector, social agents and professionals in the field and is framed in the National Strategy on Addictions 2017-2024 of the National Plan on Drugs, in force currently, in line with the mission, principles, values and objectives.
The ‘IV Canarian Plan on Addictions’ focuses on five areas of action such as prevention and awareness to reduce risk factors and increase protection against drug use and other behaviors likely to generate addiction; comprehensive care adapted to the new realities of addictions and different profiles; how to reduce or limit the negative consequences of addictions; actions to raise awareness of compliance with current regulations in the different public institutions; supply reduction and other issues related to addictive behaviors from a comprehensive and coordinated approach and provide support and support for the training of professionals and research on addictions.
According to the ‘Edades’ and ‘Estudes’ epidemiological surveys, the most consumed drugs in the Canary Islands are alcohol, tobacco and sedative-hypnotics, with cannabis being the illegal drug with the highest prevalence.
The Ministry points out that it is crucial to know and detect consumption prevalence and patterns early in order to design and execute effective public policies to reduce harm associated with behavioral or substance use.
Likewise, it points out that Primary Care plays a fundamental role since it is in this area of care that the first symptoms of addictions can be detected and from where referral and treatment are articulated in an integral way with the specialized addiction units, of those who have developed an addictive disorder.
ADDICTIVE DISORDER AND MENTAL DISORDER
On the other hand, the joint appearance of addictive disorder and mental disorder requires involvement and coordination with the mental health network to unify treatments and provide an effective response to this public health problem, he indicates.
Likewise, this plan considers prevention and health promotion to be of great importance from a community and participatory approach.
For this reason, it includes prevention actions for the general population (universal), at risk (selective) and those already affected (indicated). Developing risk reduction actions and the promotion of healthy lifestyles and habits in educational, family, community, leisure and free time, work and media environments.
