Dr. Cristina Merino, head of the Psychiatry Service of the Health Area of Ibiza and Formentera (Asef), was one of the experts who participated yesterday in the IV Conference 'Living without tobacco... without smoke'. She spoke to dozens of health professionals at Can Misses about the psychiatric repercussions of tobacco consumption and other substances.
In this regard, Cristina Merino explained to the media that the use of electronic cigarettes or vapes among adolescents can cause health problems at a very early age. For this reason, she pointed out that it is important to be careful before using a vape: «Be careful with the beginning of electronic cigarettes; let us not be fooled because it is the first step towards tobacco consumption and the entrance to the consumption of cannabis and other intoxicants», said this professional, highlighting the risks associated with cannabis consumption.
«This substance is very dangerous because it does not cause immediate damage, but rather the consequences develop little by little. Mental health problems are even being observed in young people in their 20s,» she pointed out and indicated that these substances also generate pulmonary problems, although these pathologies take longer to manifest themselves. With regard to smoking in hospitalized patients, Cristina Merino recalled how many years ago she went from working on a floor where smoking was allowed for a limited time to a smoke-free hospital floor.
A very positive and radical experience in which there were initially doubts about eliminating smoking in patients with a mental illness due to a possible «deterioration» in their mental health. «These patients are capable and willing, but help is needed to carry out the comprehensive treatment,» he explained.
Dual pathology
In relation to drug use associated with mental health problems, Dr. Cristina Merino stressed that the Psychiatry Service of the Health Area of Ibiza and Formentera is also composed of the Dual Pathology team.
A multidisciplinary professional team that offers, according to this physician, a comprehensive treatment of dual pathology. Francisco David Lorenzo, who is a Doctor in Psychology and regional president of Socidrogalcohol Canarias, which is the most important society in the field of drug addiction research, was in the same line. This professional visited Ibiza to give a talk at Can Misses on addictions and regulation strategies, a presentation that yesterday dealt with several concepts.
Among them, how through research the relationship between brain development and predisposition to addictions is detected. «Culture can influence patterns for substance prevention. Good treatment in childhood can help prevent any type of addictive behavior because, although there is a percentage of predisposition, there is a more emotional part of the brain located in the first five years of life that has a special influence,» this expert emphasized, stressing that cannabis, which is the most widely consumed drug, can generate a psychotic disorder. Both experts in smoking and cannabis consumption were part of this official opening of the conference, which was inaugurated by the managing director of the Health Area of Ibiza and Formentera, Enrique Garcerán. The event continued with a multidisciplinary round table that addressed the biopsychosocial repercussions of tobacco and cannabis consumption.
This table dealt with tobacco consumption and the emergence of new forms of consumption with Dr. Rábade, addictions and cannabis, and regulation strategies by psychologist Francisco David Lorenzo, psychiatric repercussions by the professional Cristina Merino and the judicial repercussions that were addressed in this event by the Juvenile Prosecutor Juliana Buencuerpo.
Also participating in this table were the Support Group 'Living without Tobacco' of the Health Center of Sant Antoni, the Association Ibiza and Formentera Against Cancer and residents (MIR and EIR) of the smoking cessation and prevention program of the Health Center of Sant Antoni.