Peer education: youth protagonism in a preventive approach to alcohol and other drugs

Abstract This article describes the experience of the course in Health and Safety at School, which prepared young people to spread knowledge on prevention of alcohol and other drugs, using the peer education methodology. The participants were sixty 15 to 19 year-old upper secondary school students from 8 public schools in the Federal District. The activity was structured into 8 modules, with each module consisting of a meeting to discuss content, followed by field work at the schools, where students trained their colleagues and passed on information to them; and, lastly, a further meeting for the students to give feedback on their experience in the field. All activities were recorded in field diaries, photographs, and reports, providing input to this experience report. Finally, a student forum was held at which the young people presented projects to be carried out at the schools. The peer education experience enabled the young people to take the lead in their school community and territory, and acknowledged the value of sharing among people with similar experiences. It thus favoured the development of critical, artistically potent strategies for preventive action directed to adolescents in situations of social vulnerability and fostered health promotion in the school.