A program to prevent adolescent drug use

THE “Strengthening Families” program promotes family environments that protect 10–14-year-old children in order to prevent substance abuse and other risky behaviors. Since 2012, it has benefited 450 families in the Andean Community.

The initiative, with support from the European Union and the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) since 2012, aims at promoting a family environment to protect against substance abuse and other risky behaviors that can endanger the health of 10–14-year-old adolescents.

Almost 230 million people worldwide used illegal drugs at least once in 2010, according to the World Drug Report 2012 of the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC). In the Andean Community, 10% of the 100 million inhabitants are between 10 and 14 years old and providing activities for this age group is key to preventing the onset of drug abuse.

The Gómez Becerra family is one of the 45 families in Cúcuta (located on the border with Venezuela) and the 450 families in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru that have benefited from the Strengthening Families program.

During the workshops, parents learned effective disciplinary techniques and gained skills in connecting emotionally with their children, getting closer to them with more confidence and empathy. “It used to be taboo for us to mention drugs or sex, but now we have learned that it helps to discuss these subjects and that it is our responsibility as parents to better inform our daughter,” affirmed the head of household of the Uribe Camacho family. WHO