Orihuela Council’s Health Department has organised its 11th Conference on Municipal Policies for the Prevention of Addictive Behaviour—but once again, residents of the Orihuela Costa will have to travel into the city to participate.
The free event will take place at 5pm on September 15 at the María Moliner Library in Orihuela. Despite being promoted as an initiative for the wider municipality, no corresponding session has been announced for the coast.
Health councillor Irene Celdrán described the conference as particularly important, stressing that addiction prevention involves more than statistics.
“We are talking about people, young people, families and, ultimately, the wellbeing of society as a whole,” she said.
The session will focus on preventing alcohol misuse among young people through education, information, early intervention and responsible decision-making.
Professionals from healthcare, education, psychology, criminology and public safety will participate.
Álvaro Botella, head of Orihuela’s Community Prevention Unit for Addictive Behaviour, said the objective was to reduce alcohol consumption among young people, describing it as the most widely consumed drug among this age group in Spain.
However, the choice of venue again raises a familiar question for coastal residents: why are important municipal conferences and public initiatives so rarely brought to the Orihuela Costa?
The coast contains a substantial proportion of the municipality’s population, including families and young people who could benefit from preventative programmes. Holding all such events in Orihuela city creates an obvious barrier for those without private transport or the time to make the journey.
If the council wants its prevention policies to reach the entire municipality, future conferences should include sessions on the coast—not simply expect coastal residents to travel the 35 km inland.
