For young people, the use of free time has a close relationship with the development of their identity, being one of the fundamental moments in which they seek and relate to their peer groups, exchange values ​​and behavior models. In addition, it is the leisure context where the first risk behaviors can occur, mainly related to drug use, gambling and new technologies.

This is the starting point of the project “Exchange of good practices of healthy leisure for the prevention of addictions in young people”, which arises from the need to seek preventive actions for addictions in young people, with special attention to the most vulnerable young people or With less opportunities. The project is an Erasmus+ project with Reference number : 2019-3-ES02-KA205-014232 funded by Spanish National Agency

The objectives of this project are the following:
General objective:
– Reduce the presence and promotion of addictive behaviors in young people through the exchange of good practices carried out in different contexts.
Specific objectives:
– Analyze the context and variables of addictions in each of the countries of origin that are part of the project.
– Identify specific guidelines to develop preventive actions in the field of healthy or alternative leisure with young people.
– Evaluate prevention proposals that have been carried out locally and regionally with young people from each country.
– Create action guidelines aimed at the implementation and development of healthy leisure practices with young people.

The project is an exchange of good practices between Spain, Portugal, Romania, Poland and Cyprus on the prevention of addictions in young people through healthy leisure that arises from the need to seek preventive actions for addictions in young people, with special attention to young people more vulnerable or less opportunities.

Thanks to this exchange of good practices, the entities that are part of this project will be able to increase their knowledge in the field of alternative leisure for the prevention of addictions in the youth field through the following areas:

1. How to promote healthy behaviors and habits that reduce vulnerability to substance use and addictive behaviors.

2. How to carry out leisure and free time actions and activities for the prevention of addictions.

3. How to promote environmental / structural prevention measures with the participation of young people.

4. How to use communication strategies aimed at the youth population with special attention to minors, increasing efforts to reach young people through credible messages and channels that increase the perception of social risk related to substance use and others addictions

5. How to improve universal, selective and indicated prevention programs and projects.

To develop it, an analysis of the situation of addiction in young people in the region of each associated entity will be carried out first. Secondly, specific guidelines for developing preventive actions in the field of alternative leisure with young people will be identified. Finally, the addiction prevention proposals that have been developed at local and regional level with young people in each country will be evaluated. In addition, the results will be collected and published in a decalogue of good practices, which will be accessed from each of the languages ​​of the countries that are part of the project.

Finally, the project is expected to contribute to a change in leisure routines among young people, generating new alternative leisure offers tailored to their needs and that are satisfactory to avoid the start of addictive behaviors. In short, the impact we intend to achieve with this project is the one that will have an impact once the project is over, where strategies, tools, proposals and actions are carried out to prevent addictions and promote healthy leisure. It is about establishing some initial guidelines that allow us to continue in time to deal with this problem that affects so many young people today.