Programa de prevenció del consum d’alcohol i altres drogues amb alumnes de secundària a la unitat terapèutica i Educativa del centre penitenciari de Villabona

The consumption of toxic substances by young people is a very widespread social phenomenon. The public authorities and social organizations and the third sector are conducting a variety of campaigns and initiatives aimed at preventing this consumption with a range of
guidelines and objectives. In this paper we present a prevention programme developed in the Therapeutic and Educational Unit at Villabona prison, which involved prisoners, unit staff and students from secondary schools in Asturias.
The main instrument for fostering awareness and prevention is the life stories told in the first person by the inmates themselves, emphasizing
their history of toxic substance consumption and the implications of this in terms of life chances, health, and personal and social relationships. By way of these experiences the young people are introduced to the harsh reality of drug use and have the opportunity to assess the possible consequences.