The new plan has five strategic areas and sets out 150 goals to reduce the accessibility of alcohol, prevent addictions and strengthen support for consumers and families, incorporating the gender perspective, intersectionality and equity.

According to the latest Barcelona Health Survey, alcohol is the most widely consumed substance: 54.9% of women and 75.7% of men had consumed it within the last month. In addition, risk levels of consumption rose (17 units or more a week among women and 28 or more among men) and compulsive drinking (5 consecutive drinks more than once a month) compared to the last survey.

In view of this, the plan proposes a city agreement to denormalise alcohol consumption through healthy environments, controlling its sale and advertising and putting forward healthy leisure alternatives for young people.

The new plan seeks to respond to emerging challenges, such as addictions linked to gaming and technologies, and the appearance of synthetic substances and phenomena such as chemsex (sexual consumption of psycho-active substances). To this end, early detection systems need to be strengthened, as do the development of preventive actions, the adaptation of supervised consumption according to users’ needs and more training for teams of professionals.

Support for families

The role of families is recognised as a key aspect in prevention and support, a need confirmed in the different joint creation spaces with professionals and members of the public alike.

The new plan consolidates the Guidance Service on Drugs (SOD),a free resource for teenagers and young people up to the age of 21 and their families, offering guidance relating to the consumption of substances and the problematic use of technologies. It also aims to broaden therapeutic support resources, create a preventive resource and assistance map for drug consumption and addictions and work with family associations and the educational community.

Gender perspective and intersectionality across the board as a priority

The new plan makes the gender perspective a priority cross-cutting area and incorporates an intersectional perspective to understand how gender, origin, age, sexual orientation and social class interact and multiply inequalities in health.

The document aims to apply this approach to all action plans, ensuring equity in responses and taking into account gender roles, the use of spaces, the risks of consumption and stigma. In addition, it seeks to improve access to the social and care network of the most vulnerable groups, including cis women, gender dissident people and the LGBTIQ+ collective.