To stop people from getting addicted to drugs, the Alicante City Council will give more than 2,000 presentations in schools and colleges. The Barcala administration has given the company Imagina Esencia a contract worth €175,000 over two years, with the option to renew for up to four more years, to run the city’s initiatives to stop addictive behaviours in schools. The Governing Board accepted the motion this Tuesday, and the Vox municipal group agreed to it. It will help thousands of students in primary, secondary, and vocational training.
The new contract calls for 2,225 sessions each school year, with over 30,000 children from schools all throughout the city taking part. In addition to 75 training sessions for teachers, there will be 700 sessions of the Brújula program (for elementary school students), 1,200 sessions of the 12-16 program (for secondary school students), and 325 sessions of the R&R program (for basic vocational training students).
“Education, training, and information are the best tools available to prevent addictions,” said Mari Carmen de España, the Councillor for Education. She stressed that these programs “not only focus on preventing drug addiction, but also address other addictions, such as those caused by technology or gambling.”
Three programs for three levels
The Compass program is for elementary school pupils and tries to make protective factors against drug use stronger by helping them grow up, learn values, and improve their social skills. It is used at all three levels of education and also works with teachers to make them health and prevention agents.
To go along with this, the City Council has started iBrújula, a digital version with games and interactive activities that use modern teaching methods to help students learn.
The 12–16 program in high school encourages students to think critically and talk about addictions. Students look at how tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, and new behavioural addictions are used in workshops guided by trained teachers. The purpose is to help people make appropriate choices, manage their free time, and avoid risks.
The exhibition “What drugs are about / What young people are about,” which is aimed at high school students, is an addition to this program. It encourages a critical look at the relationship between youth and consumption.
Lastly, the R&R program is mostly for kids in Basic Vocational Training, especially those who are having trouble with school or making friends. The goal of the program is to improve their social skills, values, and personal abilities, and to include addiction prevention as part of the student’s overall growth.
Author: Derek Appleton
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