Federal government strengthens addiction prevention
The goals of the action plan for the National Strategy on Addiction 2017-2024, which has now been adopted, are to strengthen the health literacy of all, to prevent addictive disorders, to support people at risk of addiction at an early stage and to provide the necessary help to the people affected.
Addiction and risky behavior cause a lot of suffering for those affected themselves, but also for their families and society. Frequent consequences of addiction are unemployment, drawing social welfare, debt or unstable living conditions. They can cause high social costs. One in seven deaths in Switzerland is related to smoking, alcohol plays a role behind one in six psychiatric diagnoses and in half of all criminal offenses. The social costs of addiction in Switzerland amount to several billion Swiss francs annually.
Strengthen prevention and early detection
The federal government wants to tackle the problems together with the cantons, the cities, the professional associations in the field of addiction and players from the police, the judiciary, education and work integration. The measures include, for example, strengthening prevention among children and adolescents, expanding the early detection of addictive disorders and improving the networking of the various service providers. In addition, cooperation between addiction support and the police is to be intensified and work integration promoted.
The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) will steer and coordinate the implementation of the measures; this in close cooperation with the Swiss Alcohol Board (SAB) and other federal agencies. The cantons also play an important role in the implementation of the strategy - the Conference of Cantonal Social Directors (SODK) supports coordination and the exchange of experience among the cantons.
Appeal to personal responsibility
The Addiction Strategy is based on the principle that people take responsibility for their lifestyles and behavior. It is designed to strengthen everyone's health literacy and to provide information about the risks and possible consequences of certain behaviors. It is based on a balance between personal responsibility and support for those who need it. It is the coordinated response to risk behavior and addiction within the framework of the health policy priorities "Health2020" and for the first time creates a comprehensive framework for orientation and action.
The strategy takes up proven elements from previous national programs on alcohol, tobacco and drugs and develops them further in line with the National Strategy on Addiction. It also includes other forms of addiction such as drug dependence and gambling addiction. It is based on the successful four-pillar model (consisting of prevention, therapy, harm reduction and repression) and develops it further. The implementation is based on existing cooperations and expands them where necessary.
Source: FOPH/Federal Council
