Regarding Drug Prevention

Drug prevention refers to a set of measures that is being done in education, housing, work, leisure time consumer, facilitating communication, behavior modeling, improving environmental conditions, in order to decrease (removal) the risk factors and increase the protective factors.

Types of prevention

In drug prevention, programs are shaped by the characteristics of target group (e.g. the facts being exposed or the behavior).

Primary prevention refers to:

  • target group sharing information about the harmful effects of drugs
  • skills training in regard to personal affirmation, when targeting groups of people, especially young people who were not exposed to drugs

Secondary prevention targets groups / persons at high risk for drug use, those who have either already experienced or due to their socio-economic and cultural environment are more exposed to this phenomenon (e.g. children of drug consumers).

Tertiary prevention addresses drug and its risks manifestations which include HIV, hepatitis B and C and other diseases transmitted from parents to children.

The most effective and most desirable form of prevention is the primary one. As supported in the scope of intervention is primary prevention, the results are more striking and more tangible, social costs are lower, and the social benefits are higher.

Key strategies in drug prevention

Reducing demand - refers to individual and social development skills useful for developing a life without drug problems (increased self-esteem, appropriate information about drugs and forms of consumption, values clarification, decision making, alternative generating, and so on). The actions are aimed at improving opportunities to develop positive, healthy and independent, lifestyles.

Reducing risks associated with drug addicts = prevention will be oriented both to avoid addiction and other associated disorders. In this respect we include screening and control activities of organic and psychological pathology associated with consumption but also those aimed at preventing infection and transmission of infectious diseases.

Reducing the supply of drugs and drug promotions - decreasing drug availability and access to consumer market. Research has shown that there is a correlation between increasing the availability, consumption growth and multiplication of the associated problems.

Reducing demand - General objective

  • Increasing awareness and involvement of the entire population, especially children and young people in prevention programs Drug universal, selective and indicated, in order to strengthen the influence of protective factors and to reduce the influence factors specific in schools
  • Developing attitudes and practices for the entire population in a school, through school programs and leisure, in order to adopt a healthy lifestyle, tobacco, alcohol and drugs.
  • Increasing influence of protective factors in young age to avoid or at least delay the onset of alcohol, tobacco and drugs
  • Raising and educating school population in order to avoid experimental / recreational drugs and the transition to regular

Specific family prevention

  • Involves awareness and motivation in order to actively involve parents, objectives and correlated with the other areas of preventive intervention
  • Providing prevention programs that allow parents to become active in drug prevention in the family
  • Develop training programs for parents to increase protective factors and decrease the influence of risk in drug use.

Prevention in community

  • Initiation and development of the local public administration authorities of projects in public / private partnership, local interest, for the protection of their communities, with the support of county prevention, evaluation and counseling and the National Authority for Youth.
  • Stimulation and support of local authorities, including financial, NGO initiatives that conducts drug prevention in local communities
  • Development and implementation of programs financed from the state budget for drug prevention in regional areas of interest differentiated according to the number of consumers, consumer preferences, occupational status, risk group characteristics, features of economic development, tourism, infrastructure, environment and so on
  • Initiation and development of projects and programs to the benefit of local communities, strengthening civic education, cultural and spiritual, presenting the healthy living alternative, teaching abstinence from drug use, including alcohol and tobacco, encouraging the formation of a social environment to prevent stigmatization and marginalization of drug.
  • Creating opportunities and fostering participation in media support, through specific, programs, projects and campaigns against drugs.
  • Develop information and awareness programs for the acquisition of the entire population of an attitude of tolerance in order to reduce marginalization and stigmatization of drug users and an attitude of responsibility in preventing drug
  • Develop a monitoring and evaluation system, integrated and individualized children and young people at risk to favor their social integration, education and training.
  • Inform and encourage all the mass media to convey messages with scientific evidence-based preventive
  • Develop information and education programs addressed to all persons in military service and other professions that involve public responsibility and risk.
  • Extending educational programs to promote a healthy lifestyle and drug prevention among all persons in prison
  • Improving the legislative provisions for implementation of protection measures doping athletes.
  • Creating and developing an integrated national system of specialized drug prevention as well as a national training system in the field, including development and validation of minimum quality standards for preventive services