Preventing addictive behaviours in children
Reply to Recommendation
| Doc. 15961
| 12 April 2024
- Author(s):
- Committee of Ministers
- Origin
- Adopted at the 1495th meeting
of the Ministers’ Deputies (10 April 2024). 2024 - Second part-session
- Reply to Recommendation
- : Recommendation 2262
(2023)
1. The Committee of
Ministers has carefully examined Parliamentary Assembly
Recommendation 2262 (2023) “Preventing addictive behaviours in children”. It recognises
the paramount responsibility of member States to ensure the right
of children to enjoy the best possible state of health. Addressing
this issue includes adopting effective addiction prevention and
treatment measures and by better understanding the causes of children’s
addictive behaviours. The Committee welcomes the attention given
by the Assembly to this alarmingly growing public health concern
which affects a vulnerable sector of our society.
2. The Committee of Ministers welcomes the Assembly’s support
for the Pompidou Group’s initiative to develop activities for the
prevention of addictive behaviours in children within its work programme
2023‑2025, including the pioneering work on children and families
affected by parental drug use. It encourages the Group to continue
to address this issue in the future.
3. With regard to its recommendations in paragraph 4, suggesting
that the Pompidou Group,
inter alia, conduct
studies on the use of cannabis among children, on behavioural addictions
facilitated by online technologies and on the prevalence of the
use of new psychoactive substances by children, the Committee of Ministers
underlines that interventions which aim to prevent or delay the
onset of drug use amongst young people should be based on the best
evidence and standards. In this respect, several resources have
been developed to assist European policy makers to prevent addictive
behaviours in children. The European Drug Prevention Quality Standards
(EDQPS) provides policy makers with a set of principles to help
develop and assess the quality of drug prevention and assess the
quality of drug prevention
Note and the European Prevention Curriculum
Note provides training for decision, opinion
and policy makers on effective drug prevention interventions. Also,
the EMCDDA (European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction)
Xchange registry
Note is a useful resource for policy makers
to choose drug prevention interventions which have been rigorously
assessed in terms of efficacy and impact.
4. The Committee of Ministers would further point out that the
statistical school surveys on behaviour of children (15-16-year-olds)
towards drug and alcohol use and possible related addictions have
been implemented for 30 years via ESPAD (European School Survey
Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs) more than 40 countries, for
the most part members of the Pompidou Group. ESPAD, initiated by
the Pompidou Group at the time, is co-ordinated by an independent
group of researchers whose data are used by the EMCDDA for its annual
European report, since they are considered as an important epidemiology
demand indicator. Conducted every four years, the ESPAD data also
appear in a database available for all who want to further analyse.
The distribution of tasks between the Pompidou Group, the EMCDDA
and the ESPAD research network makes it possible that there is no
duplication of work but rather a share of expertise.
5. In paragraph 6, the Assembly recommends the extension of MedSPAD,
which is an adaptation of ESPAD to the Mediterranean Region, to
all Pompidou Group member States. Within the MedSPAD committee, there
are already some European countries which are part of MedNET (the
Pompidou Group Mediterranean Co-operation Network on drugs and addictions),
and which participate in the discussions during MedSPAD committees.
MedSPAD has been able to introduce questions on parental use and
Covid impact due to the smaller size of participating countries
than ESPAD which enables an easier decision process. However, even if
the link between ESPAD and MedSPAD is getting closer and closer,
merely due to the fact that the research consultants in both networks
are the same and that the MedNET Secretariat is aware of the value
of both studies, MedSPAD cannot be imposed on the European countries
which conduct ESPAD. It is step by step that the knowledge and the
context of both networks could evolve towards a greater harmonisation
taking into account their differences and even improve the use of
these two school surveys instruments to develop and assess drug
prevention policies.
Note
6. Regarding the specific recommendation on behavioural addictions
facilitated by online technologies and practices, the Committee
of Ministers informs the Assembly that the Pompidou Group’s work
at present on children and addictions is of a different nature and
is focused on preparing guidelines based on integrated services
for families affected by drug use, e.g. the current work on the
role of fathers who use drugs.
7. The Committee of Ministers has noted that, in line with its
revised statute, which extends the scope of its activities, the
Pompidou Group also started in 2023 a pioneering work in the field
of new forms of addictions, setting up a specific expert group in
this respect. As a follow-up to the decisions of the 4th Council
of Europe Summit, the expert group prepared a report on “Risks and
harms associated with online gaming and gambling” (already available),
and on this basis it is working on policy guidelines to be approved
at the 94th meeting of the Pompidou Group
Permanent correspondents (Naples, 30 May 2024). As a second step,
it is foreseen that these policy guidelines would be discussed together
with the Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (CDMSI),
with a view to preparing a draft Committee of Ministers’ recommendation
addressing the issue of online addictions.
8. The Committee of Ministers would also draw attention to the
important and relevant work carried out by its Steering Committee
for the Rights of the Child (CDENF) and encourages the support that
it can extend to the work of the Pompidou Group by bringing a child
rights perspective. The
Council
of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2022-2027), under its Strategic Objective 2 “Equal opportunities
and social inclusion for all children”, points to the increasing
concern regarding children’s mental health related difficulties,
which include addictive behaviours, such as overuse or online addictions.
In fact, children consulted to inform the Strategy suggested that
the prevention of addiction to the digital environment and technologies,
including virtual reality, is a challenge to be addressed urgently.
Through the consultations, children asked for states to offer support services
for the children and families concerned by these phenomena.
10. Finally, as part of the implementation of the Council of Europe
Strategy for the Rights of the Child, and under its mandate, the
CDENF is currently preparing a mapping study on children’s access
to quality mental health care in Council of Europe member States,
which is expected to be finalised in 2024. Following a human rights-based
approach, this mapping study will assess how Council of Europe member
States currently ensure children’s access to quality mental healthcare,
which is of most relevance for children presenting addictive behaviours,
and will identify risks and barriers to accessing mental health
services as well as promising practices in view of formulating recommendations
on how member States may address challenges encountered in this
context. The Committee of Ministers invites the CDENF to bear in
mind, as appropriate, paragraph 5 of the Assembly recommendation
while carrying out this work.
