Addiction prevention

Addiction prevention involves people of all ages, with a particular focus on children and young people.

Keyboard section with "Prevention" button

The promotion of personal values is at the heart of addiction prevention.

Addiction prevention is particularly effective with young people when they are actively challenged, their curiosity addressed, their opinions listened to and taken seriously. The goals include delaying or avoiding the first use of addictive substances, reducing the amount consumed and recognizing risky consumer behaviour at an early stage.

The promotion of personal values is at the heart of addiction prevention. The aim is to teach self-confidence and communication skills, how to deal with stress and rejection as well as the ability to handle addictive substances self-critically - including legal addictive substances such as alcohol, nicotine and medication, including the ability to refuse offers to consume them.

"update" - specialist center for addiction prevention

Bonn Event Sprinter

The Eventsprinter is also regularly present in the districts of Medinghoven, Tannenbusch and Bad Godesberg.

The Bonn Event Sprinter is a joint mobile addiction prevention service offered by "update", the addiction prevention center, Caritas/Diakonie and Evangelische Jugendhilfe Godesheim.
The prevention specialists are supported by trained young people, the so-called peers. The offer is funded by the City of Bonn, Office for Social Affairs and Housing.

The Bonn Sprinter event enables initial contact with young people in their free time. It encourages them to reflect on their own consumption habits. This involves responsible use of alcohol, drugs, electronic media and eating disorders. In particular, contact is sought with adolescents and young adults who are already using in order to counteract risky consumption at an early stage and prevent the harmful use of addictive substances.

In addition to participating in public events such as carnival, Rhine in Flames, the Derletalfest and the Bonn Beer Exchange, the Bonn Event Sprinter is also regularly present in the districts of Bonn-Medinghoven, Bonn-Tannenbusch and Bonn-Bad Godesberg, as well as in series of lessons and project weeks at Bonn schools on the subject of addiction prevention.

Information on the Bonn Sprinter event is available from:

"update", specialist center for addiction prevention, Caritas/Diakonie, phone 0228 6885880 and
Evangelische Jugendhilfe Godesheim, telephone 0228 3827105

Bonn event sprinters in the city districts

In addition to mobile addiction prevention campaigns at major events and schools in Bonn, the regularly recurring missions of the Bonn Event Sprinter in selected Bonn districts complement the system of outreach addiction prevention in Bonn.

This service reaches teenagers and young adults in selected Bonn districts where they spend most of their free time. In addition to early addiction prevention, it is also possible to address young people who are already using addictive substances occasionally or at risk.

The basic rules for staying in and around the Bonn Event Sprinter are: no drugs, no violence, no insults. These are accepted and observed by the young people.

The Bonn Event Sprinter can currently be found in the following districts:

Medinghoven district
Every two weeks on Wednesdays from 3 to 5 p.m. at the corner of Europaring/Stresemannstraße in the immediate vicinity of the local youth center in Medinghoven.
Tannenbusch district
Every Monday from 3 to 5 p.m. in front of the Tannenbusch Center, located opposite the former post office.
Bad Godesberg district
Every 14 days, Wednesdays from 2.30 to 4.30 p.m., at the corner of Zanderstraße/Albertus-Magnus-Straße in Bonn-Bad Godesberg. The location is next to the Zanderstraße stop in the direction of Bonn-Bad Godesberg.

Concepts for preventive education against the dangers of addiction are based on the life situation of children, young people, parents and caregivers, on their everyday worries, difficulties and experiences. This is where the conditions that contribute to alcohol, nicotine, medication or drug abuse can be found. With this in mind, prevention specialists at independent organizations are active in Bonn, encouraging, initiating, accompanying and developing projects and offers for children, young people, parents/caregivers, educators and interested parties.

The Bonn Social Address Book (BABS) will help you to find addresses in the field of addiction prevention and addiction help.