Pep Castellón is the new president of Projecte Vida since April, replacing Eva Tenorio, who is now a member.
What are the main objectives or lines of this new stage?
Projecte Vida has grown a lot. More and more people are coming, we have the groups, support for families, women’s groups, the penitentiary… First we have to maintain this, and then we would like to work more on prevention, stigma, community projects, continue with Arrels de Vida and have more presence where addiction policies are decided. The population needs to know what an addiction is, what signs can alert us and what resources exist when a problem appears.
You do not hide your own process of recovery from alcoholism. Does this help to better understand and lead the association’s strategy?
Yes, I know what it’s like to be ashamed, I know what it’s like to be afraid, I know what it’s like to not know who to ask for help, and I also know what it’s like to rebuild your life. Now, having had an addiction doesn’t make me any more right than anyone else. Projecte Vida works because there is a first person, but there are also professionals, families, mutual aid groups and people who know a lot about the subject. This year we already launched the third campaign of Project Vida against stigma, and we wanted to teach different realities, because there is no single face of addiction.
To what do you attribute the increase in people served by the association? Are there really more addictions or are people starting to lose their fear of asking for help?
We can’t say that because we don’t have enough country data. Could there be more problems? It can be Could Projecte Vida be better known? Probably too. Maybe people will be a little less afraid or ashamed to come? I hope so. There are probably several things involved. Yes, we see more presence of cocaine often associated with alcohol and situations that are increasingly complex. That does worry us.
More than 50% of the attentions come from women. What reading do you make of this situation?
It is a fact that has surprised us a lot. There can be several things. For a long time, and even today, Eva has been one of the most visible faces of Projecte Vida, and perhaps this has also made other women see Projecte Vida as a place close to them. We have also invested heavily in working with a gender perspective and now have two specific groups of women. In Spain, Proyecto Hombre has seen that women coming to treatment have been increasing: they represented 15.3% in 2015 and 19.1% in 2024. I want to think that maybe something is changing.
It has also alerted about the increase in cases related to gambling. How is this problem being addressed?
Until August 31, 2026, at Projecte Vida we have recorded 8 inquiries related to gambling, cryptocurrency or sports betting issues. In addition, in several cases we have seen a fairly similar profile: young guys, roughly between 21 and 33 years old. That’s why this year, in the 5th Prevention Cycle, just as we did last year, we will bring an expert back to talk about cryptocurrencies, sports betting and these new forms of gambling and investment.
“The administration does not keep up with the needs of the users”
And regarding inquiries related to psychotropic drugs, what explanation do you give?
We have to be very careful here. A psychoactive drug is not bad just because it is a psychoactive drug. There are many people who need medication that, well prescribed and well controlled, allows them to be well. We are concerned when there is self-medication, when doses other than those prescribed are taken, when there is dependence or when medication is mixed with alcohol or other substances. The AGES 2024 survey in Spain shows an upward trend in the consumption of hypnotics: 12% of the population aged 15 to 64 declared having consumed them during the previous twelve months. This helps us to be alert.
“We must invest in prevention first to save money later”
What is your assessment of the Working Table of the National Plan against drug addiction?
The assessment is positive, but with some buts. It is important that Andorra has a table where the Government, professionals and entities can sit. However, it is true that it goes slower than we would like. We have people sitting in front of us every week and the needs do not keep up with the Administration. Having said that, we appreciate that this workspace exists and we will continue to participate in it with a constructive attitude.
Claim more resources from the administrations, in which facet is it important to be able to invest more?
Rather than saying “we want more money”, we would mainly talk about one thing: stability. We need to be able to continue psychological support, mutual aid groups, work with families, women’s groups, prevention and community projects. And we have to invest before to save money later. If we manage to get a person to ask for help earlier, so that they don’t lose their job, that they don’t keep coming to the emergency room, that they don’t need certain social assistance or that a family doesn’t end up completely broken, this also has an economic impact. Not just human.
Do you need to make a bet for healthier leisure environments?
We have to be very strict with minors. You need to protect them and be forceful with the sale or supply. With adults, on the other hand, our bet is above all to inform, disseminate and not encourage. And this also happens to say that alcohol is a drug. We must try that a party does not end up revolving almost exclusively around alcohol.
