Medellín's city council heard a presentation this week from the E.S.E. Hospital Carisma, a public mental health institution, outlining a deteriorating addiction landscape, one in which digital behaviors have emerged alongside traditional drug use as a growing public health concern.
Antioquia province already leads Colombia in psychoactive drug consumption rates, and local authorities are now contending with a broadened definition of addiction, including online gambling.
The session highlighted that approximately 30% of the population holds accounts on online betting platforms. Officials also raised concerns about the role of engagement-driven algorithms in reinforcing compulsive digital behaviors, pointing to a structural dimension behind the trend.
Juan Carlos Delgado, Addiction Specialist, said: “We tend to think phone and social media addiction is only a problem among young people. That is not the case. We are seeing adults and older populations developing these behaviors as well.”
Delgado also underscored how the addiction landscape has evolved over time, noting that more than three decades ago substance use, including cocaine, crack cocaine, alcohol and tobacco, was the primary focus, while today a broader range of behaviors and substances, including synthetic drugs, has complicated both prevention and treatment efforts.
Council members emphasized cases of children as young as 8 and 9 years old presenting with addiction-related issues and raised concerns about vaping products being provided to minors in household settings.
The discussion also touched on the role of social media influencers in normalizing street homelessness linked to substance use, the influence of micro-trafficking networks, and questions about the effectiveness of the city's current programs despite annual spending exceeding COP60bn ($15m).
Council members agreed that addiction in Medellín should be treated as a combined public health, security and social issue requiring a coordinated response.
Colombia has recently introduced regulated Keno nationwide, with projections of COP500bn in contributions to the healthcare system over five years
