It is calculated that 150,000 minors between the ages of 12 and 17 consume alcohol, 110,000 tobacco and 53,000 drugs, including stimulants and tranquillizers.54 No up-to-date data are available on the number of these children who receive treatment, care and/or assistance to recover from alcoholism and drug addiction.
Among the dissemination and impact activities, the National Youth Secretariat organizes anti-drugs lecture cycles with the aim of teaching students to avoid taking drugs, and their consequences through education and information. The Secretariat hopes to reach out to more than 6,500 baccalaureate students in public and private schools in areas that been identified as having a high rate of drug consumption, namely San Salvador, Ilopango, Ciudad Delgado, Soyapango, San Miguel, Santa Ana and Sonsonate.
1. Tobacco and alcohol programmes
A National Drugs Commission has been set up in the country, the main function of which is to coordinate the efforts made by the various segments of society, particularly by institutions guiding members who make up the National Drugs Commission (CNA): National Council of Public Security, Ministry of National Defence, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Public Security and Justice and Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare.
The following are some of the activities coordinated:
Drug prevention lectures for third-cycle and baccalaureate students; the Programme was delivered within the framework of the Social Peace Plan promoted by the President. The central theme of the lectures is “Drugs and their Effects” and they take the form of a presentation that explains to students the short- and long-term consequences of drug taking in clear and objective language with the aim of guiding them to take informed decisions that will lead them to reject drugs. A discussion space is then set up, where pupils can express their views and concerns on the topic. The programme began in July 2007 and will continue indefinitely. It is aimed at the public and private sector. Between that date and January this year, a total of 1,506 students were contacted in 10 educational establishments;
Culture of legality. This programme has been implemented since 2004 by the Ministry of Education, National Council of Public Security and National Drugs Commission, under the auspices of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Commission (CICAD/OEA). This aims to prevent violent behaviour and illicit activities such as drug use and trafficking. Its aim is to develop pro-social forms of behaviour and attitudes in third-cycle students through improved knowledge of and respect for regulations and the rule of law. During 2006, a harmonization activity was carried out to incorporate part of the contents of the Culture of Legality in the new third-cycle Social Science Curriculum. In 2007, a pilot project was carried out to adapt the programme to the community environment in high-risk communities covered by the National Council of Public Security. During the first stage of the project, 6,390 students benefited in 97 educational establishments. When the programme was adapted to the community environment, 220 young people resident in four high-risk communities were helped;
“Segundo Paso” (Second Step). This programme sets out to provide children with the fundamental skills to ensure that they grow into independent, public-spirited and understanding young people and adults. These qualities are incompatible with the taking of drugs and with violent and irresponsible behaviour. The version for preschool age children (aged 4 to 6) consists of 25 lessons covering areas such as Empathy, Dealing with Feelings and Problem Solving. Between 2005 and 2006, a pilot test was carried out in two public sector nursery schools on 127 children in the four-year old sections. The results were satisfactory because the students in the experimental group assimilated the concepts of the programme and reduced their antisocial behaviour in the classroom.
The Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare (MSPAS), for its part, is implementing the National Plan for the Prevention of Smoking 2002–2008, the main aim of which is to prevent, detect and avoid risk and damage caused to people's health by smoking and passive smoking. One of the specific aims that the plan sets out to achieve is to prevent people starting smoking and becoming addicted, with the emphasis on children and adolescents.
As part of the Plan strategy, work is being carried out to incorporate the topic of the prevention of smoking into the school curriculum and at all academic levels of teaching.
Within the framework of the Plan, the MSPAS, working in coordination with some universities and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), is developing various research studies aimed at determining the prevalence of smoking in school-age adolescents and the adult population.
The MSPAS is including the specific topic of alcoholism in its Men’s Health Programme, which is aimed not only at the adult population but also at young people. It assists people between the ages of 15 and 59. This programme offers information, education and communication activities to assist teetotallers and occasional drinkers. When chronic drinkers are identified, the programme works through individual therapy and group sessions.
H. Street children
According to a survey carried out in 2006, the ISNA identified a total of 272 street children, falling into three categories: living on the street, taking to the streets and being financially exploited on the street. To deal with this problem ISNA runs a specialist protection Centre known as the Social Integration Centre for Children and Adolescents (CISNA). The purpose of this Centre is to eradicate the problem of children and adolescents living on the street by means of a process of helping them to build a life plan.
The types of care offered by the centre are as follows: psychological and social care, de-toxication, health, legal aid, formal education, recreation and sport, family and community, vocational training, spirituality, arts and culture. The main strategy is based on creating a friendly environment for children and adolescents that allows them to stay and get involved in the various activities of this care model. The centre also seeks to involve the family directly in the process of reintegrating their sons and daughters. The activities that ISNA carries out for these children also helps encourage new commitments and action with public and private bodies associated with this problem. The centre also carries out educational campaigns through various mass media in order to make society in general aware of its direct involvement with victims of this situation. The ISNA also works in coordination with NGOs such as the Fundación Dolores Medina, City Hall Metropolitan Agents Corps and the National Civil Police. The ISNA currently employs a staff of 80 people to help street children.
