Health Minister Edith Schippers has earmarked six million euros for the next three years to educate young people about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and drugs.

The minister will inform parliament on Monday about her plans to use schools and social media to help young people make healthy choices. She emphasised that in addition to the prevention campaign the government would also increase fines for smoking in bars and restaurants and make it a punishable offence for young people under 16 to have alcohol in their possession in public.

The cabinet has earmarked another 825,000 euros for a campaign intended to help young people make clear their wishes and set boundaries in sexual relationships. The campaign is intended to prevent sexual coercion, unwanted pregnancies and STDs. Minister Schippers has made prevention her top priority.

(gsh)

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