The IDT, IP keeps the national telephone helpline, Linha Vida – SOS Drogas an anonymous and confidential service that gives priority to counselling, information and referral in the drug abuse area and associated themes (adolescence, sexuality, AIDS, amongst others).
In 2007, Linha Vida was available from 10 am to 8 pm every working day. Its staff includes doctors, psychologists, pharmacists and social workers with specific training in the drug abuse. In 2008, Linha Vida – SOS Drogas celebrate 20 years of existence. From the 1st January to 31st December 2007, the helpline received a total of 23 412 calls
Linha Vida also respond to emails (e-mail counseling) since 2003 sent to a publicly advertised address in order to improve the availability of information and referral services. In 2007, 689 emails were received 65% of the emails are requests for information and 23% are related to requests for support/counselling. Concerning the client profile, most emails are sent by those who had a problem or needed the information (67%) followed by the parents (7%). In 2007, was verified that most questions came from female gender (59%), male gender (37%).
In particular situations and under specific criteria, Linha Vida makes face-to-face counselling available to some of the callers, mainly for psycho-social assessment and referral.
Linha Vida is also a member of the National Early Warning System Network and, in that framework, all references made by callers to new or under monitoring substances are immediately reported to the National Monitoring, Training and International Relations Department of IDT, I.P.
Linha Vida is also a member of FESAT and since 2007 the President of the foundation, as such, contributed with monitoring questionnaires, participated in telephonic conferences and in the bimonthly electronic newsletter published by FESAT.