Promoting good health is an integral part of Europe 2020, the EU's 10-year economic-growth policy framework for smart and inclusive growth. Europe has the highest alcohol and drugs consumption in the world: average adult (aged 15 + years) alcohol consumption is 12.5 liters of pure alcohol/day, more than double world average.
Alcohol and drugs abuses are the most cause of noncommunicable diseases, communicable diseases with significant increased sexually transmitted infections and all types of intentional and unintentional injury, including homicides & suicides. It harms and effects people other than abusers, whether through violence on the street, sexual and domestic violence, or using resources dealing with crimes.
Thus, increased empowerment and awareness about the effects of alcohol and drugs abuse on health and wellbeing, can mitigate their impact on economic downturns, unemployment and reduce alcohol and drugs-related deaths and violence. Therefore, our pathways to empowerment in drug abuse prevention invest in health through a life-course approach; empower youth-adults by creating supportive interventions, environments and resilient communities.
Stand Against Drugs; one of our interventions that seeks to develop the essential concepts, attitudes and skill of universal drug abuse prevention programmes through youth work to make great strides in developing both the knowledge and the tools that can stem the tide of drug abuse and curb its devastating effects on youth-adults.
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