Keep Greek Prevention Centres and their services alive

The Greek society suffers a multi-sided crisis that evolves to a threat against Life, day by day.

In this harsh socio-economic environment, addictive behaviours have rapidly increased, according to surveys as well as practical requests that the Centres' employees have met along the last three years.

The 71 Centers for the Prevention of Drug Addiction and the Promotion of Psychosocial Health constitute a "harbor" for tenths of thousands of people (especially youths) in their uneven daily fight for a mentally, emotionally and psysically healthy life.

Primary prevention of drug use in Greece has been materialized mainly by the 71 Centres for the Prevention of Addictions and the Promotion of Psychosocial Health.

The Centres provide holistic services of information, education, empowerment and support (to children and young people, parents, educators, community members and groups), that essentially aim at promoting psychosocial health of local communities.

It is worth mentioning that these demanding tasks are performed in under-funding, and under-staffing conditions (at present the total staff nation-wide numbers less than 400 people, with their ratio to the population at approximately 1 to 25.000.)

The Centres are threatened of terminating their social offer due to extreme budget cuts (75% during the last 3 years) and a lack of political will regarding the renewal of the Programmatic Agreement that sees for their operation. Thus, they're heavily in danger of operational death, right in the middle of an all-embracing crisis that calls for supportive public services.