The harmful use of alcohol and other drugs is a topic that Brazilian society frequently discusses, but due to its breadth and complexity, it is also a subject that returns to the debate due to the depth of its causes and the severity of its effects, in addition to requiring a systematic and continuous approach.

Brazilian legislation deals with the issue of drugs, proposing actions of prevention, treatment and social reintegration that are required of federated entities whose execution requires social and community support. Such actions must be carried out by organizations in the areas of...

At the 6th International Freemind Congress, held from December 4th to 7th, 2019, in Águas de Lindóia/SP – Brazil, we had the presence of Dr. William D. Crano, who occupies the Oskamp chair and is a professor of psychology in the Division of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences at Claremont Graduate University.

Dr. William participated in a Panel whose theme was "The Regular Cigarette and New Ways to Intoxicate with Nicotine" and addressed the issue of the rise of electronic cigarettes (vapes) and the reinstatement of nicotine as a primary addiction of youth.

He talked about the problems...

Research carried out at the Federal University of Goiás (UFG) – Brazil has developed a particle capable of capturing cocaine circulating in the blood of a living organism. The formulation proved to be efficient even in lethal doses of the drug, which means that it can reverse an overdose that would lead to death. It is the first time that a particle produced from nanotechnology has been used for this purpose.

The work was developed in the Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences at UFG by researcher Sarah Rodrigues Fernandes, under the guidance of Professor Eliana Martins Lima. They...

A cidade de Água Branca, no estado do Piauí desenvolveu o Projeto “Viver bem é viver sem drogas”, em virtude de inúmeras demandas de famílias em sofrimento decorrentes desses fatores. O Núcleo de Apoio à Saúde da Família de Água Branca recebe frequentemente famílias encaminhadas pelas Estratégias Saúde da Família em intenso sofrimento devido ao uso de drogas por um ou mais membros da família.

O Projeto visa atuar de forma preventiva, reforçando a qualidade de vida, e o fortalecimento dos vínculos familiares e sociais.

O período da adolescência é entendido como a etapa de desenvolvimento...

COMORBIDADE

Comorbidade pode ser definida como a coocorrência de duas ou mais enfermidades ou transtornos, em uma mesma pessoa, num determinado período de tempo (ou por tempo indeterminado).

A manifestação de transtornos mentais e de comportamento, decorrentes do uso de drogas e de outros transtornos psiquiátricos, vem sendo bastante estudada desde os anos 80. Pode-se dizer que o abuso de substâncias psicoativas é o transtorno coexistente mais frequente entre os portadores de transtornos mentais, sendo fundamental o correto diagnóstico das doenças envolvidas.

Os transtornos mais comuns...

Drugs are problems that integrate virtually all contemporary societies, causing great social and economic impacts. In Brazil, illicit drugs also finance crime and violence, so their fight remains a huge challenge for our country.

Most users are young and start using these substances still at school, at an increasingly premature age. The truth is that, both in large metropolises and in regions farther from Brazilian territory, consumption and addiction start more and earlier.

According to the Brazilian Center for Information on Psychotropic Drugs (CEBRID), adolescence is a period of...

University students are considered a risk population with regard to alcohol consumption, either by frequency of consumption or its consequences, which can even considerably affect the academic performance of the student. For this reason, alcohol consumption in this population has been the focus of concerns and searches for effective interventions to reduce consumption, as well as associated problems and consequences.

According to data from the United Nations (UN, 2013), alcohol is the most consumed psychoactive substance in the world, with significant growth in consumption among university...

What is prevention?
I think the definition of "prevention science" by the Academic Science for Prevention Network (SPAN) fully encompasses the role of this field. It is a very rich field in terms of combining and using knowledge from many disciplines to consider etiology, epidemiology, intervention design, efficacy and implementation for the prevention of a variety of health and social problems. We don't just talk about substance use prevention, but also violence, suicide, obesity, mental illness, sexual health, chronic disease, etc. We focus on behavior as a determinant of poor health and...

A study by Lucia Parente and Luís Camboim reports the abusive presence of alcohol consumption by children and adolescents in our society. Alcoholism is a serious problem and considered a public health risk. Laws no. 9,294/96 and 8,069/90 prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages to children under eighteen years of age, as a way to prevent young people from the consequences arising from this type of narcotics.

The indices show that the accessibility of young people to alcohol occurs frequently. It is perceived that children and adolescents use alcoholic beverages frequently, thus...