Spain steps up youth addiction prevention with training and digital safety events

Over 20 municipal professionals from the Marina Alta region attended a two‑day course in Dénia on mediation and prevention of addictive behaviours among young people aged 12 to 30. The training, organised by the Xarxa Jove de la Marina Alta of the MACMA and the University of the Pacific of Dénia (UPCA), covered basic addiction information, preventive tools and community‑development strategies. Participants represented towns including Calp, Pedreguer, Teulada Moraira, Ondara, Benissa, El Poble Nou de Benitatxell, Xàbia and Els Poblets.

In Galicia, a UNICEF‑backed study of 100,000 adolescents highlighted that many children as young as 10 are signed up to multiple social‑media platforms despite legal age limits. The findings were presented at a free public forum at the University of Santiago de Compostela, part of the "Infancia digital" project involving UNICEF Spain, the General Council of Professional Engineering Colleges and the USC. The event featured a discussion of new‑age addictions such as social‑media overuse, gaming and gambling, the release of the open‑access "Handbook of Non‑Substance Addictive Behaviours", and guidance for families and institutions on preventive measures.