Zagreb - Members of the Croatian Parliament said on Tuesday that the fight against drug abuse and addiction must involve society as a whole, highlighting the importance of prevention and education while warning of the alarming rise in the number of addicts in Croatia.
During a debate on the implementation of the National Action Strategy on Addiction for 2023, MPs highlighted an upward trend in the use of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and cocaine, particularly among young people.
They emphasised that prevention is key in combating addiction.
"To make real progress, we must first limit easy access and involve the entire society in the process," said Irena Dragić from the Social Democratic Party.
"In Croatia, alcohol, cigarettes, betting shops and slot machine arcades are socially acceptable, and, unfortunately, even cocaine lately. With such an attitude, the results cannot be any different," she said.
Growing demand for all types of drugs
Mislav Herman (ruling Croatian Democratic Union) stressed that prevention programmes are the most important.
"I believe we are on the right track. We have a clear vision and we are aware of what still needs to be done, especially in curbing the availability of drugs, as, unfortunately, data shows that demand for all types of drugs is rising," Herman said.
"Prevention is the best and most sustainable response to this growing problem. It must be systematic, planned and accessible to all," said Loris Peršurić (Istrian Democratic Party).
Rising gambling trend among children and young people
Marin Živković (We Can!) pointed to the increasing trend of gambling among children and young people, advocating for the removal of betting machines from cafés, while Marijana Puljak (Centre) called for a total ban on smoking in enclosed spaces, with no exceptions.
"We are the worst in Europe when it comes to smoking," said Josip Jurčević (Independent).
Presenting the report, Marija Bubaš, State Secretary at the Ministry of Health, identified the biggest challenges as limited resources in rural areas, persistently high addiction rates among young people, insufficient prevention programmes and the need for broader access to treatment programmes for gambling and video game addiction.