32nd Symposium on Advances in Drug Dependence: “Denormalising to Protect: Approaches to Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Use in Young People”

The Deusto Institute of Drug Dependencies (IDD) held on 7 November the 32nd Symposium on Advances in Drug Dependency, this year entitled “Denormalising to Protect: Approaches to Alcohol, Tobacco and Cannabis Use among Young People.” The event, organised with the collaboration of the Directorate of Public Health and Addictions of the Basque Government’s Department of Health, has once again established itself as a key meeting for professionals, researchers and institutional leaders working in the field of addiction prevention and intervention.

The Symposium aimed to analyse how substance use has become integrated into the daily lives of many young people, as well as to share strategies and practical experiences to promote its denormalisation from the educational, community and work spheres. In this context, the day promoted debate, reflection, and the development of proposals aimed at strengthening preventive actions and public policies in line with the Basque Government’s 8th Addictions Plan.

The event featured interventions from Isabel Rubio, Dean of the Faculty of Education and Sport at the University of Deusto, and Guillermo Herrero from the Directorate of Public Health and Addictions of the Basque Government, who reaffirmed their shared commitment to health promotion, applied research, and social responsibility. The scheduled presentations and roundtable discussions addressed topics such as the accessibility and availability of alcohol in school settings, community awareness initiatives, and the influence of workplace factors on youth consumption patterns. Participants included representatives from Ortzadar, Etorkintza, OSALAN and the Deusto Institute of Drug Dependencies itself.

The Deusto Institute of Drug Dependencies is a university centre of the University of Deusto dedicated to training, research and counselling in the field of addictions. For more than three decades, it has promoted the generation and transfer of scientific knowledge, social innovation, and interinstitutional collaboration to advance the prevention, treatment, and study of addictive behaviour.