Nakisa is a psychologist at IMPULS, the only addiction counselling service for young people in Luxembourg. The service provides free psychosocial and therapeutic support to young people aged 13 to 21, as well as their families, and institutions or organisations involved when substance use becomes an issue. A key message throughout the interview was the importance of reaching out early, before a situation escalates.
One topic that resonated strongly was how alcohol is often underestimated. It is frequently seen as harmless because it is legal and socially accepted. As Nakisa explained on air, alcohol is sometimes considered something normal that young people do at the weekend but as she emphasises “a weekend thing can escalate really quickly and they end up going to the hospital because they have drank way too much alcohol”.
This mindset can delay support until the consequences are already serious. The conversation also focused on trends IMPULS is increasingly seeing among young people, particularly the use of vapes and snus. Nakisa shared that vapes are “making people quite ill… it’s a lot of nicotine that these kids are consuming and they’re not used to it”. This can lead to rapid nicotine intake and stronger dependency than expected.
For families who may feel unsure or anxious about making contact, Nakisa emphasised that IMPULS takes a very open approach. If a young person or family member is nervous, “we are really open to people just giving us a ring and having a chat”. There is no pressure, and often that first conversation can help clarify concerns. She also underlined the importance of timing, encouraging people not to wait, “the best time would be if you already notice it…. the earlier the better”, she said.
IMPULS works in a multitude of languages and operates from three locations across the country, in Luxembourg City, Ettelbruck, and Esch-sur-Alzette, making the service accessible to a wide range of young people and families. You can find more information about the service by visiting here.
Listen back to the full interview here:
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