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The phenomenon of drugs as it is shaped today in Europe and Greece is characterized by
- the emergence of new forms of drugs such as synthetic drugs
- the falling starting age (12 – 13 years) of users
- the combination and use of several substances (polydrug addiction – chaotic polydrug addiction), including the combination of legal substances, such as alcohol and prescribed and controlled drugs, and illegal substances; and
- the finding that cannabis remains the most widely used drug.

As a consequence, the guidelines of the new European strategy (2013-2020) emphasise the need for environmental, universal, selective and appropriate prevention approaches, as well as the early detection of risk factors and the development of early intervention systems in these cases. In addition, the objectives of the new national strategy, among others, emphasise the improvement of the effectiveness of prevention programmes in schools (from initial impact to long-term sustainability), together with the further development of counselling for parents to raise awareness of the risk of using illicit drugs and other psychotropic substances and their consequences.

Recent scientific studies and research emphasise that for prevention efforts to be effective, they must address the causal factors for the occurrence of a behaviour and that it is important to distinguish between drug initiation, occasional drug use, regular or frequent drug use and drug abuse behaviours as potential focuses of prevention efforts. In this sense, ‘different prevention strategies can be applied, depending on the final objective sought’.
As a result, prevention programmes today are, for the most part, designed for a clear purpose. “Universal programmes” are designed to reach the general population, such as schoolchildren. ‘Focused programmes’ target high-risk groups or subsets of the general population, such as children of substance users or underachieving children at school.
Prevention programmes should also reinforce protective factors (e.g. strong and positive family ties, parental supervision of children’s activities and friends, clear rules that are enforced and consistently followed) and reduce risk factors (e.g. chaotic family environment, substance-using parents, children with temperamental or behavioural difficulties, poor social skills). Risk and protective factors affect all people, but the magnitude of the effect is related to age, gender, ethnicity, culture and environment. For example, the family factor may be important in children, while relationships with substance-using peers are more important in adolescents.

Finally, prevention programmes should therefore focus on all types of substances, individually or in combination, including the illicit use (due to age) of legal substances (cigarettes, alcohol), the use of illegal substances (hashish, heroin), the inappropriate use of legally obtained substances (inhalants), prescription drugs or over-the-counter drugs. They should also take into account the specific type of substance use in the local community, and the combination of two or more community-based prevention programmes, such as family and school-based programmes, can be more effective than one programme alone.
- Networking and mobilising the local community
- Information – Information
- Support for the family
- Intervention and awareness-raising of the school community
- Support for children and young people
- Development of volunteering
- Interventions in Professional Groups
- Counselling of individuals and families
- Armed Forces