Global Action - World Health Begins With Drug-Free Communities

01 July 2011 - Break, freestyle, hip hop and street basketball, besides of a walk for the fight against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. On June 26 th, participants of the project "Youth of Expression" went to Ceilândia streets, in the Federal District of Brazil, to support the global action "World Health Begins with Drug-Free Communities"

The activities, that took place on the Global Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, also had stands in which people of all ages could measure their blood pressure, workout, watch workshops, and visit the Drugs Museum

These healthy practices are a way to prevent drug abuse, always through dialog with the community, notably with youth, that many times doesn't have opportunities to talk about their problems and wishes.

Ceilandia was chosen for the activities because it suffers with violence and drug trafficking, and also to sensitize local population about drug abuse.

World Action

Every year, around 210 million people use illicit drugs and around 200,000 of them die as consequence. This year, on the World Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking the role of community was stressed in comparison with drug fighting.

Since there is no single solution for the drug problem, the participation of families, teachers, local health services, leaders and members of the communities in general to the drug problem becomes necessary to really reach the people with a potential risk of drug abusing.

The UNODC, with organizations of civil society, promotes approaches that give importance and strength to the strategies that involve the community to fight the particular problems that may lead them to be more vulnerable to drugs.

The community-based interventions, like the one in Ceilândia, with other initiatives and sectors of society, can create synergies and be financially viable, creating visibility to the problem and bringing resources to drug combat.

In approaching the drug problem through an inclusive and participative perspective, the community-based interventions also assure that every sector of the society feels responsible for their share on the drug problem fight. This is the focus of the world campaign that has as slogan "Global health starts with drug-free communities" that has as goal to support and inspire people to act against drug abuse.

See the pictures of Youth of Expression in Ceilândia

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