Regional Directorate for Prevention and Control of Dependencies carries out prevention action for senior secondary school students
The Regional Director for Prevention and Control of Dependencies participated today in an awareness-raising action on risk behaviours associated with the consumption of legal and illegal substances in the context of secondary school graduation trips.
"We intend that this measure will lead to a preventive attitude towards risk behaviours associated with the consumption of legal and illegal substances in secondary school graduation trips," stated Suzete Frias. She spoke on the sidelines of this initiative that was addressed to students attending Povoação Basic Education and Secondary School on São Miguel Island.
The Regional Director pointed out that, for some young people, this trip is regarded as an opportunity to consume alcohol and other psychoactive substances for the first time as well as to explore sexuality outside regulatory context of parents, schools and the society.
In this context, the project will be extended to all secondary schools of the archipelago where students are planning to organise graduation trips and whose boards show interest in promoting this awareness-raising action.
The team consists of a nurse and a psychologist from the Regional Directorate for Prevention and Control of Dependencies, who will implement this action in collaboration with school health teams.
"Although the last SICAD's annual report on alcohol and drug consumption shows that the Azores are the national region registering the second lowest percentage in terms of binge drinking and drunkenness among 18 year olds, we cannot deny this reality and its harmful or even fatal consequences," stated the government official.
Suzete Frias warned that serious accidents and incidents involving young people during graduation trips occur every year due to the consumption of alcohol and other psychoactive substances.
"Hence, it is important to accompany these young people in the process of planning and preparing their graduation trip not only in terms of raising their awareness for certain behaviours, but also in terms of giving them some theoretical and practical support in order to prevent risk behaviours," stated the Regional Director.
The reflection carried out in these sessions focuses on the relation between psychoactive substance use and entertainment, travel planning and the prevention of risk behaviours.