The Intersectoriality in the Implementation of Public Policy for Drug Prevention

Lílian Patrícia Silva de Souza, Eliana Berger, Edileuza Monteiro, Francisco Bastos

The Public Ministry of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, has requested strategies in prevention actions for the use/misuse of drugs from the National Secretary of Drug Policies of the Ministry of Justice (SENAD/MJ), responsible for advising Brazilian states and municipalities on drug policies nationwide. The Secretary (SENAD), through an agreement with Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, from the Ministry of Health (FIOCRUZ/MS), welcomed the request and settled a partnership with the state’s government and the municipalities of Natal, Parnamirim and Mossoró.

This partnership aimed for the implementation of three prevention programs for the use/misuse of alcohol and other drugs: “Jogo Elos”, a Brazilian version of the Good Behavior Game – GBG, “#TamoJunto”, a version of Unplugged; and “Famílias Fortes” an adaptation of the Strengthening Families Programme – SFP. The programs are based on scientific evidences, and on the conceptual framework of comprehensive social influence, with central axes supported by education, health and citizenship, focused on children, young adolescents and their families. The implementation of the three programs in the state of Rio Grande do Norte involved intersectoral articulation between the Secretary of Health, Secretary of Education and Secretary of Social Assistance of the three municipalities mentioned, and also the State Department of Youth, the Social Assistance Reference Center (CRAS), the Basic Unit of Health (UBS), Municipal and State Schools of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Public Ministry.

Considering the involvement of these government instances, it was taken as theoretical framework the intersectoral approach, described in academic literature as one of the essential precepts of implementation policies involving different government sectors and civil society, and the integration between sectors that intent to foster the implementation of such policies (Nascimento, 2010). This integration took into consideration the competences and specificities from each area involved, that in result, besides joining forces, strengthens the National Policies on Drugs (PNAD, 2006). This presentation focuses on the results obtained in 2016, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, of the implementation of three prevention programs for the use/misuse of alcohol and other drugs. The study used as measurements of result the number of trained facilitators, youth and family benefited from the program, and particularly, the degree of integration of the different sectors of public service involved, taking into account the perspective of intersectoriality.

This abstract was submitted to the 2017 Society for Prevention Research Annual Meeting.