Abstract

In El Carmen, Jujuy, Argentina, the consumption of psychoactive substances is present in twenty-two percent of adolescents attending school and increases when young people present situations of vulnerability in their links with the community (not belonging to work and study groups, moving in problematic circuits, isolated from society and family.

Adolescent suicides associated with the use of psychoactive substances have increased in the last decade.

The objective was to create spaces for the prevention of the problematic use of psychoactive substances in the most vulnerable neighborhoods of El Carmen, promoting the community’s role as a pillar of containment for children, adolescents and young people.

Artistic and sports workshops were held (plastic activities, physical education and music – dance), reflexive workshops, community radio programs and strengthening of programs in operation addressing the prevention of problematic consumption in the target population and training of neighborhood social foresters.

The political-economic framework of the project was guaranteed by agreements signed between the National University of Jujuy, the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of El Carmen.

The activities captured a large part of the population, achieving the proposed objectives, giving rise to two orchestras of wind instruments (quenas and sikuris); pre-existing activities were strengthened, such as murgas barriales and sports teams; three neighborhood sports Olympics were held; sharing of activities and fifty social preventators were trained.

The political implications were the sensitization of the community of El Carmen in relation to the problem of the consumption of psychoactive substances and generation of lines of action for mitigation.