Mónica Seidi highlights increased prevention of addictive behaviours in schools - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Saúde e Segurança Social

The Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security, Mónica Seidi, visited today the Tomás de Borba School in Angra do Heroísmo, where she attended a session on the prevention of addictive behaviour in schools.

Mónica Seidi emphasised that this initiative stems from joint and coordinated action between the Regional Directorate for Health, the Regional Directorate for Education, the Regional Directorate for Prevention and Control of Dependencies, the Public Security Police's "Safe School" project and the "Haja Saúde" team from "Casa do Povo de Santa Bárbara" (social solidarity institution). On the occasion, she highlighted the importance of joint work to reflect on the different types of psychoactive substances.

The government official also added that there is a schedule of actions defined for all islands in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, ensuring coordination between School Health teams and addiction prevention teams, in compliance with the Regional School Health Programme.

"We have been implementing specific measures in this area, although we recognise that there is still a long way to go," stated Mónica Seidi. In this regard, she highlighted the increase in human resources allocated to prevention and the creation of a prevention centre on the island of São Miguel, where this phenomenon is most prevalent. The Regional Secretary also stressed that the aim is to ensure that young people are properly informed, allowing them to make conscious and responsible decisions that will have a positive impact throughout their lives.

The planned actions cover a range of topics, including the consumption of legal and illegal psychoactive substances, alcohol, smoking, new psychoactive substances, and non-substance addictions.

On Terceira Island, this project is being developed in collaboration with the "Haja Saúde" team from Casa do Povo de Santa Bárbara, and in 2025 alone, more than 100 actions have already been carried out in the island's two municipalities, targeting 5th to 12th-grade students.

Throughout this academic year, school health teams from the Island Health Units, together with prevention teams and the Public Security Police, will work in a coordinated manner across the archipelago, ensuring a structured and effective intervention in promoting healthy lifestyles and preventing risk behaviours.