The British Hospital carried out a Prevention Workshop on Addiction

In response to member’s concerns, the British Hospital carried out a workshop on addiction prevention, especially drugs and alcohol, with emphasis on adolescents and the role of the family. The British Hospital systematically reveals the issues of interest to its members, as part of its ongoing policy of health education and prevention. So, on Wednesday, June 23rd Dr. Teresita Sabat and Dr.Gabriel Rossi led an activity on "Addiction Prevention and Early Detection. Drugs and Alcohol ", with emphasis on adolescents, and in particular on alcohol and marijuana intake. Dr. Sabat is a pediatrician specialized in adolescents, and Dr. Rossi is a psychiatrist of children and adolescents and the master in drug addiction. Dr. Teresita Sabat introduced the subject and showed to the audience about their idea of adolescence as a stage of life, and about the changes which take place at different levels when teenagers experienced them, and also about the need to prevent risks behavior without falling into overprotection. She focused on the maturation process of the brain in adolescence, and insisted on the prevention as a conceptual approach, a subject that was also presented by Dr. Rossi. It is not just about "the bad company”. It is essential where the teenager comes from, "mentioned Sabat in relation to the importance of the family about containment and prevention.”We do not talk about the inquirer and overprotective father, we discussed the role of the family," she said. Gabriel Rossi invited to consider "the parents situation as preventers" and not as police or detectives parents. "It is about creating safe environments instead of consumption environments. The specialist mentioned "not to think of teenagers as others" and he stated that they may be active and interested in knowing and searching. It is about "this research as a non problematic one as well as being the least risky possible, because there will always be risks." He remembered that we live in a society that promotes consumption and said that one of the challenges for teenagers, and consequently for their families, is that "identity should not be related to possessions." Every teenager is unique and unrepeatable and it is about thinking in each one individually, "he said. The presentation of Dr. Sabat and Dr. Rossi is part of a series of educational and preventive activities that will continue until August, and which are linked to the application of first aid in children and adults, besides children language, among others topics of interest for the families.