#Tamojunto 2.0 program helps reduce the onset of alcohol use by adolescents
A study by Unifesp identified that the Ministry of Health's school prevention program reduces the initiation of alcohol use by adolescents.
Adolescents who participated in the program's classes were 22% less likely to initiate alcohol use than students in the group who did not receive the program
A study on the effectiveness of the Ministry of Health's #Tamojunto 2.0 program in preventing drug use in a sample of 5,208 Brazilian students was published in the prestigious scientific journal Addiction .
The evaluative study of the program was coordinated by the team of Professor Zila Sanchez, from the Department of Preventive Medicine of the Paulista School of Medicine of the Federal University of São Paulo (EPM/Unifesp) - São Paulo Campus, in partnership with the Federal University of Ceará (UFC) and the University of São Paulo (USP). The research was funded by the Ministry of Health.
#Tamojunto 2.0 is based on the European school prevention program for drug use called Unplugged, which was initially adapted to the Brazilian context by the Ministry of Health in 2013, in partnership with the Brazilian United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Two previous versions of the program had already been tested and showed contradictory effects, different from those observed in Europe.
After the temporary suspension of the program's implementation, the results of previous research were used in 2018 to allow for adaptations of the program based on scientific evidence.
Thus, after changes in the activities related to alcohol content, adjustment in the age group and in the training of implementing teachers, in 2019, the program was again tested through a randomized controlled trial among 8th grade students from 73 public schools in three Brazilian cities (São Paulo/SP, Fortaleza and Eusébio/CE).
The study showed that participation in the #Tamojunto2.0 program reduced the chance of 8th grade students starting to use alcohol.
Adolescents who participated in the program's classes were 22% less likely to initiate alcohol use than students in the group who did not receive the program.
When the program adherence component was considered in the analysis, this reduction reached 30%, demonstrating that those who participated in more classes of the program were more protected from starting alcohol use.
However, no effect of the program was found on preventing initiation of any other drug or on the prevalence of drug use in the month prior to the survey.
"It is noteworthy that this study presents a unique case in Brazil in which a drug use prevention program had its results evaluated by gold standard studies, in a continuous and systematic process whose main purpose was to provide subsidies for the dissemination of a public policy for the prevention of drug use based on evidence.
The implementation of the program has gone through several federal administrations and, at the moment, it has scientific validation so that its national dissemination can be safely initiated", evaluates Sanchez.
Article Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/add.15358
About the #TAMOJUNTO (*)
(Photo credits: http://portal.sme.prefeitura.sp.gov.br/Main/Noticia/Visualizar/PortalSMESP/TamoJunto)
The #Tamojunto is a Program for the Prevention of the Use of Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs, carried out in schools, adapted from a methodology originally called Unplugged, developed by a group of European researchers linked to EU-DAP [Experience of Prevention of Drug Use in Europe – Project funded by the European Commission – Community Public Health Program, 2002] and proposed by the National Coordination of Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs, of the Ministry of Health of Brazil in partnership with UNODC/Brazil (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime).
The European methodology was developed based on research, and considers the data from the process evaluations carried out in the countries in which the Program was implemented, resulting in the content proposed for classes and interventions with parents, guardians and the community (Parent and Guardian Workshop).
In the Brazilian proposal, this same rigor was observed, and the restructuring of the project has been considering the experiences and effects obtained in the field. Among its main characteristics, the following stand out:
- Theoretical foundation, based on the Global Social Influence Model. This means that the work proposal is anchored, simultaneously, in three axes: development of life skills, elucidation of the role of normative beliefs and knowledge and information about the theme;
- From a practical point of view, the methodology emphasizes the interactive character, that is, it stimulates the constant exchange of experiences among students, through playful activities that integrate elements of the adolescents' lifestyle and their normative beliefs;
- The target audience of the actions in Brazil is adolescents with an average age of 13 years (specifically, 8th grade students), because this is the age group in which young people, in general, begin to experiment with drugs, especially cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana;
- The general objectives of the classes are to reduce the regular or abusive consumption of alcohol and other drugs, to postpone the first use and to prevent the transition from sporadic to frequent use. The research carried out with adolescents who went through the classes of the European version of this methodology revealed, mainly, the effectiveness in delaying the first use and preventing the passage from sporadic to frequent use;
- The Program consists of 12 classes, planned to be developed during the school period, over the course of an academic semester. This extent was determined based on research demonstrating that programs with fewer than 10 classes are less effective than those with an average duration of 15 units;
- The drugs covered in the Brazilian version are: tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, crack, amphetamines, tranquilizers, among others.
Parent and Guardian Workshops
In addition to the 12 classes to be developed in class, with the teacher acting as a facilitator of the meeting between the adolescents and the promoter of the construction of knowledge in a group, the Program provides for three meetings, aimed at parents or any guardians of the students, as well as the community in which the school is located.
In recent decades, it has been verified that good family ties are important protective factors in relation to the behavior of alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse by adolescents.
These close affective bonds make up the set of characteristics of the social environment that reduce the probability of abuse of these substances. In view of this data, the involvement of the family in preventive programs aimed at young school-age children is essential.
The possibility of dialogue and affection within the family is of paramount importance for the healthy development of the subject, strengthening bonds and relationships of trust.
In addition, studies prove that the involvement of parents in prevention strategies contributes greatly to the effectiveness of programs of this type.
In all, 03 Parent and Guardian Workshops are planned, covering the following axes:
- Enable parents of adolescents to have a broader understanding of this phase;
- Provide parents and teachers with a space to share experiences and demands regarding their education;
- Enable the horizontal exchange of knowledge between Health and Education;
- Expand the range of possibilities for parents to manage their children's education, emphasizing the need for dialogue, based on close and careful listening between the parties, preserving the functions of reference and mediation of adults towards adolescents;
- Offer guidance based on scientific information directed to parents and/or guardians, motivating them to take a more active position regarding the prevention and reduction of the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs by adolescents.
(*) Text taken from the Teacher's Guide.