More and more addicts

When the postman delivers drugs to the children’s room

Smoking marijuana is dangerous. High doses or long-term use can lead to psychotic reactions.

(Bild: Monkey Business - stock.adobe.com)

Loneliness, increasing pressure to perform, psychosocial stress and a lack of attention in the family environment are causing more and more teenagers and young people in Burgenland to turn to addictive substances. What parents can do and what measures politicians are taking to counteract this. 

The first cigarette, the first beer, the first joint: Austria's children and young people are getting into the world of drugs at an ever younger age. It's no different in Burgenland. "The youngest drug addicts in this country are just 14 years old. They have often been using hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin for years before that," says Drug and Addiction Coordinator Petra Taferner-Kraigher. Adolescents are a particularly vulnerable group, says the behavioral therapist. Their first contact with legal and illegal substances is therefore not just for fun and pure curiosity.

"The motives are different. Some girls and boys strive for positive feelings and use drugs for euphoria, mood enhancement and stress reduction. Others long for acceptance and belonging among their peers and experiment with addictive substances in order to integrate socially. More and more young people are also trying to escape from unbearable realities in this way or to overcome psychosocial problems - for example by self-medicating."

Behavioral addictions such as excessive online gaming and shopping addiction are also on the rise, says Petra Taferner-Kraigher.

(Bild: zVg)

Who belongs to the risk group
Children and young people in unstable and dysfunctional family structures, in which neglect, domestic violence or parental mental illness play a role, are particularly at risk. Poverty is also a decisive factor: "Studies show that socio-economically disadvantaged young people are at a higher risk of addiction and dependency because they are more likely to experience stress at home due to financial problems. Lower educational opportunities or a lack of career prospects also cause many to turn to drugs." They often take risky routes to obtain substances and are therefore frequently involved in drug-related crime. 

While alcohol and traditional tobacco consumption is on the decline among young people, new nicotine products such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches are gaining popularity, according to Taferner-Kraigher. The abuse of prescription drugs, especially psychotropic substances, is also a growing problem: "The most commonly used illegal drug among young people is cannabis. There has also been a slight increase in the use of ecstasy, cocaine and amphetamines. Around four percent of the Austrian population have already had experience with them. Between 36,000 and 39,000 people in Austria also use opioids at high risk, often in combination with other substances."

How young people get hold of drugs
Addictive substances are obtained by children and young people through various channels. On the one hand, schoolyards, leisure parks, cafés, parties and clubs serve as local meeting places. On the other hand, online trade is increasing because the darknet offers anonymity. "So-called legal highs or new psychoactive substances (NPS) are often ordered by young people directly to their homes and consumed in their children's rooms. The products are often disguised with colorful packaging, distracting names and misleading descriptions without specifying the substances they contain," warns the expert against trivialization.

She advises parents who notice conspicuous changes in their child's behavior to contact the psycho-social service, where specialist addiction support services are available for young people. For long-term care, therapists and specialists in child and adolescent psychiatry are the right places to go.

What politicians are doing 
In order to reach boys and girls in their living environments in good time before they develop serious addictions, the state is also implementing a range of prevention measures. In addition to the ready4life app, which supports young people in coping with stress, the "plus - life skills promotion program" for lower school pupils, for example, provides concrete methods to promote psychosocial health. 

"Burgenland's 2030 Plan for the Future states that the strategy for the prevention and counseling of addiction will be rolled out across the province. Education in schools and on social media is also intended to counteract the rise in addictive behavior," says Taferner-Kraigher.