Three Plagues of Modernity and the urgency of protecting our families

These three plagues, the excessive use of screens, the spread of drugs and the debt caused by online betting (bets), are not isolated problems. Science shows us that they share the same capture mechanism. Neurobiology already recognizes that the brain functioning of a gambling addict is identical to that of chemical dependency. With each bet on your cell phone, the brain releases dopamine not only in victory, but in the uncertainty of the result. It’s the “almost won” mechanism, which hijacks the reward system and turns what is sold as entertainment into a constant drain on income.

The numbers are frightening. In 2026, Brazil reached the highest debt rate in its history, with 80.9% of families having some type of debt. The Federal Court of Auditors estimates that illegal betting platforms generate up to R$40 billion per year in the country. In Rondonópolis, I heard a cutting story from a young law student, Luiz Fernando, who told about a family member who, in a few months, saw his organized life being consumed by betting. It is the cycle of rapid debt, which compromises 10% to 50% of the family budget and pushes citizens towards extremely high compound interest on credit cards.

The same addiction mechanism affects our children through screens. The uncontrolled use of cell phones in childhood is not just a behavioral issue, but a public health issue. Studies indicate that excessive time in front of screens drastically reduces face-to-face interactions, causing learning difficulties, lack of concentration and increased anxiety. As Professor Eveline Batistela warned, during our seminar in Tangará da Serra, the excess of screens is stealing childhood and compromising the future of an entire generation.

And, at the extreme end of this chain of illness, we have drugs, the silent collapse of youth. The mass incarceration of young people for drug-related offenses fuels the logistics of factions within prisons, transforming a public health problem into a large-scale security crisis. In Cuiabá, Admar Valentim's emotional testimony reminded us that the normalization of addiction begins early, often at home, and that we need courage to face this reality.

The good news is that the Brazilian State has started to act on one of the most urgent problems. In recent weeks, the Federal Government has taken decisive steps that speak directly to what we have defended in Mato Grosso. President Lula signed Decree No. 13,033/2026, which promotes the financial suffocation of illegal bets. The measure determines the immediate blocking of resources from these clandestine companies, transferring the amounts to the National Public Security Fund. This is the siege closing in on those who operate outside the law.

Furthermore, as rapporteur of PLN 17/2026 in the National Congress, I had the opportunity to approve the credit that makes Desenrola Adimplentes viable. This program allows informal workers to renegotiate their debts with fair interest, up to 1.99% per month. But the great innovation, which I consider a victory for our agenda, is the protection lock, as anyone who joins Desenrola will have their CPF automatically blocked on betting platforms for six months. The State extends its hand to get citizens out of debt, but ensures that this financial breath is not sucked up by the “little tiger”.

Listening to the population in each municipality of Mato Grosso gave me the empirical and territorial basis to work in the Senate. We need to advance further.

We cannot allow the profit of the few to be built on the ruin of the many. Tackling the three plagues of modernity is an urgent matter of public health, security and economic protection. We need to have the courage to protect our families and that is why this fight, which began by listening to people in Mato Grosso, will now gain the force of law in Brasília.