Addiction prevention services; utilization

Addiction prevention efforts are aimed at preventing risky, harmful or addictive behavior and consumption. In addition to avoiding risk factors, health resources and skills should also be strengthened.

Preventing risky, unhealthy or addictive behavior - these are important goals of addiction prevention. In addition to substance-related addictions such as alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, illegal drugs or medication, non-substance-related addictions such as gambling addiction or internet and computer addiction are also part of addiction prevention. The measures and services are designed to empower and motivate people to change their behavior in a way that promotes health. At the same time, the social conditions for this are created. Personal resources are to be promoted, health skills strengthened and risk factors, such as an early age of initiation into substance use, avoided.

Preventive educational measures on addiction problems are aimed at the general population, especially at the particularly vulnerable age groups of children and adolescents, as well as at groups of people with existing risk behavior.

The Bavarian Center for Prevention and Health Promotion (ZPG) (see "Further links") provides information, trains multipliers and designs and supports addiction prevention measures in Bavaria based on the latest scientific findings. Concrete measures in the local towns and districts are offered and implemented primarily by the responsible health authorities.

Comprehensive information on the subject of addiction can be found on the website of the German Center for Addiction Issues (see "Further links"). The cross-agency and nationwide standardized advice platform "DigiSucht" (see "Related links"), which is used by an increasing number of addiction advice centres in Bavaria, also provides general information on the topic of addiction and also offers the opportunity to take anonymous self-tests on your own consumption behaviour.