Resolution 2520 (2023)1Provisional version

Preventing addictive behaviours in children

Parliamentary Assembly

1. The Parliamentary Assembly is dismayed by the addictive behaviours of children and the impact thishas on their mental and physical health and their development. It notes that to date prevention policies havenot succeeded in curbing the growth in these behaviours or the increasing number of forms they are taking.

2. Although cannabis is still one of the most widely used drugs, including by children, the continuedemergence of new drugs is a growing problem factor where it comes to devising drug prevention policies. Inaddition, new addictive behaviours, linked mainly to the use of digital tools and applications, complicateattempts to address the problem. Exposure of children to addictive substances and addictive behaviours grewin the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing socio-economic crisis. During lockdowns, pre-existing prevention measures often lacked flexibility and hence effectiveness.

3. The Assembly seeks to ensure respect for every child’s right to a healthy life, as underlined in theUnited Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which guarantees “the right of the child to theenjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness andrehabilitation of health” and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 3, whose aim is to ensurehealthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, which includes the strengthening of “the preventionand treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol”.

4. The Assembly attaches importance to States’ preventing or reducing addictive behaviours, thuseliminating their disastrous physical, psychological and social consequences, which hinder children’sdevelopment and well-being. Bearing in mind the child’s best interest, it proposes setting up flexible,responsive measures taking account of trends in addictive behaviours, based on a holistic approach to thesituations which children face. In this respect, it should be noted that although addictive behaviours in childrenoccur in all socio-economic settings, it is clear nonetheless that children living in disadvantaged environmentsor whose parents or close relatives use drugs are more prone to addictive behaviours.

5. The Assembly would also like to point out that for prevention and treatment of addictive behaviours asearly as possible to be effective, measures must be introduced which target young children, including the veryyoung, particularly when they are exposed to addictive behaviour in their environment.

6. In the light of the current lack of responsiveness or the inadequacy of policies to combat drugs andaddictions in children, the Assembly considers it necessary for States to step up research on prevention andinnovative prevention practices, both to combat addictions which have been known for some time and in thelight of the addictive behaviours which have arisen in recent years.

7. Bearing in mind these considerations, the Assembly invites the Council of Europe member States to setup tools which help to prevent the use by children of the main substances, to develop comprehensiveprotective measures geared to various addictive behaviours and to identify long-term responses to new trendsin addictive behaviours, in keeping with the child’s best interest. Policies and action plans must include

1. Assembly debate on 13 October 2023 (24th sitting) (see Doc. 15830, report of the Committee on Social Affairs,Health and Sustainable Development, rapporteur: Ms Diana Stoica). Text adopted by the Assembly on 13 October 2023(24th sitting).

See also Recommendation 2262 (2023).

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