NACHGEDACHT
Bitte nehmen Sie sich einige Minuten Zeit, um die nachfolgenden Zeilen zu lesen. Sie enthalten sehr wichtige allgemeine Information zur Drogenprävention.

The damage caused by legal and illegal drugs to society is largely known. Drugs destroy health, families, friendships, employment, and much more. Let’s take the legal drug alcohol in South Tyrol as an example. Wine is as deeply rooted in our culture as apples, speck and "Schüttelbrot" . Viticulture has a long-standing tradition here and is widely celebrated and accepted by large parts of the population. With our approval, we are practically breeding young alcoholics. Just take a look at the many events we have—whether it's a club celebration, a summer festival, or any random gathering—alcohol is always served in abundance. People often drink as much as they possibly can. Just observe the level of aggression and the many intoxicated individuals after such a party. Many young people underestimate alcohol. You often hear things like, “Alcohol? Getting drunk is cool—why not? The older generation drinks too.” And indeed, the adults set the example, and the next generation is never far behind. With our beloved yet health-damaging traditional model, we are teaching our children how to live as adults...

Unfortunately, even in our highly developed and technological world, there is no foolproof solution against drug abuse. And such a solution will likely never exist in the future either. To combat drug addiction more effectively and consistently, prevention and education must be intensified even more than before. In our country, there are numerous institutions that do valuable prevention work with the support of politics. But these alone are no longer enough. Alternatives must be created. Times have changed, even in the field of addiction prevention. Globalization has also taken hold here. More and more often, the public is calling for abstinent individuals to speak from their life experiences. People with lived experience should be supported, and investment is needed in this area to build even more effective prevention structures. Those who speak from their personal experiences often convince and reach others far more than people who speak solely from a trained or scientific perspective and have no personal experience. Another fact also needs to be addressed: People who speak from their own experiences and do not have a psychology degree or doctorate—more specifically, who may not even have a formal education—are often looked down upon and dismissed as unqualified, simply because they lack academic credentials. As a result, these highly qualified individuals—qualified through life experience—are only given minimal or no support, and their valuable insights are rarely utilized or promoted. We all know what powerful and honest words based on real experiences can achieve. Words can uplift us and give us courage. They can warn us of dangers and give us new strength and hope. Lived experience is a great support and enriches prevention work immensely.

As stated on my website (see PREVENTION under Nicotine), preventive measures should begin in kindergarten and elementary school. Children must be taught in a vivid way how nicotine, alcohol, and illegal drugs make us addicted and what we can do about it. Drug prevention with credible deterrence is better than having to suffer the consequences of addiction at some point. If you want to live a drug-free life, you need to be well prepared in case of an emergency. Deterrent images on alcohol bottles, such as a liver destroyed by cancer or a rotten smoker's leg, are intended to discourage children from drinking alcohol. Children must be convinced that drug use is harmful to health, that smoking is not cool, that drinking alcohol is a sign of weakness and can cause a slow and painful death.  

But which political leadership in an industrialized country would ever allow such shocking images on alcohol bottles? Probably none, I believe. Because alcohol is a major economic sector, and we're talking about a lot of money here. Alcohol advertising on television also plays a huge role in encouraging even more drinking, and as a result, TV stations profit significantly.
The truth is: a campaign like that would only financially harm the alcohol industry, and both the state and the country would earn less from alcohol sales and taxes.
Even the phrase "Drink in moderation", which I once read, is poorly worded and not a convincing expression—it has little to do with true drug prevention. On the contrary, this phrase even encourages drinking by implying that it's acceptable. These words should be on the inside of an alcohol prevention leaflet—never on the cover. Wouldn’t “Don’t drink alcohol” be much more persuasive?Of course, it’s good that the public is being informed about responsible drinking, but it would be even better never to come into contact with this destructive substance at all.

But the business of beer, wine, and spirits is a major source of income for the alcohol industry and the state, because they want to sell alcohol to the people. They also make consistent use of modern media to ensure their drinks reach as many consumers as possible. This especially includes young people. I am aware that my critical statements may not make me popular with everyone, because the truth is sometimes hard to accept. I also ask myself: why do politicians still allow global alcohol advertising, despite all the scientific evidence of alcohol's harmful effects? If greed and profit are given priority here, and the protection of our health plays no role, then this is a harmful act against public health.

Here is only one option for me: to keep going and to provide hard-hitting education. I want to use my experience to further strengthen preventive work in the coming years and to share valuable knowledge so that children can protect themselves from all kinds of drugs. The motto is: "Joy of life without drugs." The earlier we begin addressing tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drug addiction — along with their consequences — in the classroom, the more effective drug prevention becomes.iftprävention.