Almanna- og bústaðamálaráðið
Í hesum døgum er altjóða NordAN-ráðstevna í Norðurlandahúsinum, har luttakarar úr Norðurlondum og Baltikum umrøða alkohol- og rúsevnapolitikk og fyribyrging í broytandi tíðum.
Margit Stórá, landsstýriskvinna í almanna- og bústaðamálum, setti ráðstevnuna í morgun. Í røðuni legði hon dent á fyribyrging, stuðul til fólk og familjur við rúsevnistrupulleikum og týdningin av, at tænasturnar samstarva um at veita samanhangandi hjálp.
Røðan kann lesast á enskum niðanfyri.
Good morning, everyone.
It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the Faroe Islands – and to the Nordic House.
I am especially pleased to welcome those of you who have travelled here from across the Nordic and Baltic countries.
I would like to thank NordAN and Blue Cross Faroe Islands for bringing us together for this conference.
It is twenty years since NordAN last held its annual conference here in the Faroe Islands.
A great deal has changed since then.
Our societies have changed. Patterns of alcohol and drug use have changed. And our knowledge about prevention, treatment and support has developed.
But one important question remains the same:
How can we prevent harm – and help people live healthy, safe and meaningful lives?
The consequences of harmful alcohol and drug use can be serious.
Not only for the person directly affected, but also for the people around them.
Children. Parents. Partners. Friends.
Behind every statistic is a person. And very often, there is also a family that is affected – and that may need support.
This is one of the reasons why prevention is so important.
Especially when it comes to children and young people.
We want our young people to grow up in safe and supportive communities. We want to prevent the use of alcohol and drugs for as long as possible. And we want to act early when a young person begins to struggle.
There are some encouraging developments in the Faroe Islands.
The latest ESPAD survey shows that fewer 15- and 16-year-olds have tried alcohol than five years ago.
That is positive.
But alcohol use among young people is still a concern. So progress should not make us less ambitious.
Instead, it should remind us that change is possible – and that prevention requires continued attention and effort.
And prevention cannot stand alone.
When a person develops problems with alcohol or drugs, the situation is rarely simple.
Substance use may be connected with mental health problems, difficulties in the family, loneliness, unemployment or insecure housing.
As Minister for Social Affairs and Housing, this is particularly important to me.
We must be able to see the whole person – not only the substance use.
And our services must be able to work together around the person.
We cannot expect people who are already struggling – or their families – to find their own way through a fragmented system.
They should be met with dignity.
They should know where to turn.
And they should be able to get the right help at the right time.
This also tells us something important about responsibility.
Prevention and support are not the responsibility of one ministry, one profession or one organisation.
They require cooperation.
Between health and social services. Between schools, families and communities. Between public authorities and civil society.
And, of course, between countries.
In the Faroe Islands, work is continuing on a comprehensive approach to substance misuse, based on recommendations presented in 2022.
This work involves several ministries and reflects our ambition to strengthen prevention, treatment and cooperation across sectors.
The coming period will also bring new responsibilities for the Faroe Islands in the drugs area.
From 1 January 2027, Faroese authorities will take over responsibility for drug legislation and its administration. They will also take over the financial responsibility for this area.
This gives us both an opportunity and a responsibility to consider how we can do things better.
And this is one of the reasons why conferences like this one are so valuable.
We have experiences to share here in the Faroe Islands.
But we also have a great deal to learn.
Small societies have particular challenges. But being small can also be a strength.
The distance between our communities, professionals, organisations and decision-makers can be short.
We should make good use of that.
And we should make good use of the Nordic and Baltic cooperation that brings us together here today.
Over the next two days, you will hear from researchers, policymakers, professionals, civil society and people with different experiences and perspectives.
I hope you will use this opportunity to ask difficult questions, share what works – and also be open about what does not.
Because that is how we learn from each other.
And ultimately, that is what this work is about:
Preventing harm.
Supporting people and families when they need us.
And creating communities where more people have the opportunity to live good and meaningful lives.
Thank you for being here.
And thank you to NordAN, Blue Cross Faroe Islands and everyone who has contributed to bringing this conference to the Faroe Islands.
I wish you two inspiring and productive days here in Tórshavn.
It is my pleasure to declare the NordAN 2026 Conference open.
Thank you.
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