Report on the Drug Situation 2010 - Bundesministerium für ...

3 Prevention
Following the EMCDDA classification of prevention, this chapter has been divided into
universal prevention, selective prevention and indicated prevention 5 . However, in
practice the terms of primary and secondary prevention 6 continue to be used to some
extent as this classification is regarded to be less stigmatising. In Austria, the
corresponding programmes are primarily implemented at local and regional levels, in
accordance with expert consensus. In this context, the provincial Addiction Prevention
Units (see Figure 1.1), the Addiction Prevention Forums of Salzburg and Vienna as well
as regional coordination and control bodies (Salzburg) play important roles. As a rule,
prevention measures are oriented towards long-term effectiveness and sustainability,
which is aimed at primarily by means of training programmes for multipliers. In line
with Austria’s comprehensive approach to addiction, many prevention measures are
not aimed at specific substances but also encompass forms of addiction that are not
related to substances. In recent years, specific interventions concerning legal
substances (alcohol and nicotine) as well as forms of addiction that are not related to
substances (e.g., compulsive gambling) have become increasingly important. However,
this report focuses on unspecific measures or interventions specifically aiming at illicit
substances.
In addition to a number of standard programmes carried out at nationwide level, in
recent years also numerous regional activities have routinely been initiated and
advanced (see Tables A30 to A33 in Annex A). Current prevention measures taken are
5
Universal prevention is aimed at large groups of the population (e.g., school communities, towns) that,
independent of the individual situation, are equally likely to develop patterns of substance use.
Selective prevention focuses on smaller groups that, due to biological, psychological, social or environmental
risk factors – independent of the individual situation – are more likely to develop patterns of substance use than
the general population (e.g., children of addicted parents).
Indicated prevention addresses individual persons who already show early signs of substance use or problem
patterns of behaviour that are associated with drug use but do not yet meet the criteria for a diagnosis of
dependence and for whom the risk of developing addictive behaviour is thus particularly high. A requirement
for indicated prevention is that medical experts have already diagnosed mental, conduct or behavioural
disorders that are known to constitute risk factors regarding the development of addictive behaviour, e.g.,
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
6
Primary prevention aims at avoiding the development of a disease, in this case, an addiction disease, already
before drug use or drug problems have arisen. Secondary prevention addresses drug users who definitely have
problems, which have not yet become manifest to their full extent, however.
Chapter 3 / Prevention 17