Concerned, from the scientific point of view and the formulation of public policies, with the lack of transparency in the dissemination of conflicts of interest by organizations that disseminate information in the media about alcohol use in Brazil, researchers from the City University of New York, UNIFESP and the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Santa Casa published text in the September issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. They warn that omissions and failures to disclose conflicts of interest put public health at risk.

The article focuses attention on the Health and Alcohol...

Dr. João Paulo Becker Lotufo, friend and partner of Freemind and ISSUP Brazil, invitesyou to participate in the Brief Course on Smoking for pediatricians during the II Day of the Working Group of Alcohol and Drugs of the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics. The course has the support of the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics, Society of Pediatrics of São Paulo, Brazilian Medical Association and University Hospital of USP. Dr. Edson Liberal of the SBP will be present at the opening.

Classes will last 20 minutes on October 29 at 7:00 pm ( Brasilia Time). The topics to be addressed will be:...

The misuse of licit and illicit drugs is a serious public health problem that affects all countries in the world in a worrying way. It is estimated that between 2005 and 2006, approximately 200 million individuals have consumed illicit drugs, corresponding to almost 5% of the world population in the age group between 15 and 64 years.

In this scenario, the most consumed drugs are: marijuana, amphetamines, opiates and cocaine.

In relation to licit substances, the situation is no less worrying: harmful alcohol consumption accounts for almost 4% of all deaths worldwide, being the leading cause...

Are you "Maria goes with the others"?

My grandmother used to say, "Who mixes with pigs, bran eats."

And we have the translation of Psalm I that says, "Tell me who you're hanging out with and I'll tell you who you are."

Rodrigo Flaire and Claudemir dos Santos, in this video, want to talk about it!

A scientific research, with methodology on "The influence of friends on drug use among adolescents" was developed by 2 researchers from USP - University of São Paulo and the scientific article was published in 2014 showing how to quantify this influence.

Really, friends involved with drugs...

Everyone remembers a teacher who marked his own life. What made it unforgettable? Why was it etched in the memory?

I imagine the biggest reward a teacher can get is finding a former student after many years and hearing something like, "wow, you've made a difference in my life." After all, isn't it the teacher's goal to make a difference to his students? The contents given, for the most part, will be forgotten and perhaps nothing left over the years, except for this mark that the teacher managed to leave.

Asking current teachers about the teachers who marked their lives, everyone had some...

Mental illnesses have grown worldwide and are already among the leading causes of disability in the 21st century. Especially depression, seen as a factor at the highest risk of suicide worldwide. World Mental Health Day is celebrated on October 10.

Mental health means being well with yourself and others, in addition to accepting life's events, controlling emotions and recognizing personal limits. However, the use of alcoholic beverages and drugs can cause harm to this well-being.

In the case of alcohol, for example, damage can occur in memory and increase as the dose increases. When too much...

Toys, toys and more toys. Often, say experts, in the eagerto buy the favorite gift, which over the wills and tastes of children, parents forget something that can not be bought, nor translated into numbers: presence.

"We need to look at the amounts that credit card and money don't buy. Gifting is something very beautiful and everyone likes it, but it should not be a priority, much less offered as a replacement for affection and the permanent presence in the lives of sons and daughters," says Ana Abreu, a researcher in education at the Federal University of Alfenas.

The educator argues that...

Listas de passos com ações recomendáveis para facilitar a cessação do uso de drogas são muito utilizadas, e com sucesso, por entidades como os Alcoólicos Anônimos, Narcóticos Anônimos, entre outros.

Com enfoque na prevenção, propomos uma lista de 12 medidas, que devem ser aplicadas pelos pais, para prevenir a entrada dos seus filhos adolescentes no mundo das drogas lícitas e ilícitas. São medidas baseadas nos dados atuais e na nossa experiência do atendimento de crianças e adolescentes. Sabemos que, depois que uma pessoa se torna dependente de alguma droga, é muito difícil reverter. Logo...

As stay-at-home orders began in some U.S. states as a strategy to mitigate the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Nielsen reported a 54% increase in national alcohol sales for the week ended March 21, 2020, compared to 1 year earlier; Online sales increased by 262% compared to 2019 (1).

Three weeks later, the World Health Organization warned that alcohol use during the pandemic could exacerbate health concerns and risky behaviors (2).

This study examines changes in alcohol use at the individual level and the consequences associated with adult alcohol use in the U.S., as...

Dr. João Paulo Lotufo, friend and partner of Freemind and ISSUP Brazil, in his column on USP radio, tells us about the danger of electronic cigarettes indoors and warns that young Americans are the ones who consume the most, according to studies, and do not consider this consumption harmful.

But that's not true, since e-cigarette emissions are not harmless and calling them steam is purposely misleading. Although the smoky snags of the electronic cigarette are not exactly smoke, the term steam usually brings to mind an innocuous cloud of water.

A study published in the United States on the...

During the 6th Freemind International Congress, held in December 2019 in the city of Águas de Lindóia/SP, Friar Hans Stapel – Founder of Fazenda da Esperança and Consultant of the Pontifical Council for the Laity –  shared with the congressmen his life experience and the importance of the family in his education and also spoke a little about his work in the recovery of drug users:

The older I get, the more I see the importance of family. I remember my very poor childhood in post-war Germany and one day I wanted to have an ice cream with my friends in a newly opened Italian ice cream parlor...

When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, her baby also drinks.

Alcohol is bad for the baby: the baby is too young to drink!

The range of damage caused to the foetus due to alcohol consumption during pregnancy is called Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Alcohol can harm the baby's brain, heart, eyes and other organs.

Children with FASD may have difficulty learning, controlling how they act, and making friends. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause permanent damage to the fetus. These nine months last a lifetime.

Let's keep them alcohol-free. FASD affects all of us, but it is 100...

Famílias, como prevenir? O diálogo começa em casa. Conversando com Maria de Fátima Padin

Em seu canal do YouTube, Drogas e Sociedade, Gleuda Apolinário recebe a Dra. Maria de Fátima Padin para uma conversa sobre como prevenir o uso de drogas nas famílias através do diálogo.

Durante 37 minutos, Dra. Maria de Fátima falou de sua experiência e deixou muitas dicas importantes de como os pais devem agir diante das situações que podem se apresentar devido ao uso de drogas.

Acompanhe abaixo um resumo do que a doutora falou sobre família, prevenção e diálogo:

“Existem hoje em termos de...

De 18 a 25 de Setembro – Semana Nacional do Trânsito

Álcool, drogas e direção: perceba o risco… Proteja a vida!

A Semana Nacional de Trânsito (SNT), conforme disposto no art. 326 do Código de Trânsito Brasileiro (CTB), é comemorada anualmente entre os dias 18 e 25 de setembro.

Ações em todo o país são realizadas pelos órgãos do Sistema Nacional de Trânsito com o objetivo de conscientizar todos os envolvidos, sejam eles motoristas, passageiros, motociclistas, ciclistas ou pedestres.

O tema definido oficialmente pelo Conselho Nacional de Trânsito (CONTRAN) para a Campanha Educativa de...

Neste 15 de setembro, Dia Nacional de Prevenção e combate à Depressão, precisamos falar sobre a relação da adolescência, da depressão, do uso de drogas e do suicídio entre nossos filhos e amigos.

O suicídio é a segunda causa de morte em jovens dos 15 aos 29 anos de idade. Em mulheres, é a principal causa de mortalidade na faixa etária dos 15 aos 19 anos. Apesar de ser o desfecho trágico de um conjunto de fatores – é equivocado e simplista associar o suicídio a uma única causa – estudos mostram que quase 100% das vítimas apresentavam pelo menos um transtorno psiquiátrico, especialmente a depre...

Neste mês de setembro, salvar vidas é falar sobre Prevenção ao Suicídio.

Para o Freemind e ISSUP Brasil, salvar vidas é a nossa missão e o caminho para isso é a Prevenção.

Nossos jovens e até mesmo nossas crianças estão cada dia mais vulneráveis a ideações suicidas e tentativas de suicídio.

Precisamos estar atentos aos sinais. Por isso, compartilhamos um material da Campanha Setembro Amarelo 2020, da ABP e CFM voltado aos pais, responsáveis e educadores.

Carta aos pais, responsáveis e educadores

Como sabemos, os jovens estão suscetíveis às mudanças fisiológicas que são características...

Quais os direitos das crianças?

Um deles é o direito a brincar, uma vez que o brincar se apresenta como ferramenta essencial para a sua saúde durante seu crescimento, já que ela se descobre na brincadeira, bem como apreende o mundo de forma lúdica, vivenciando as experiências de forma adequada à sua idade. A criança que brinca constrói uma estrutura psicológica e emocional resiliente e muito mais preparada para enfrentar os desafios do mundo adulto no futuro.

Já é comprovado que grande porcentagem das crianças que se encontram em situação de vulnerabilidade busca nas ruas atividades que lhe...

Do you know what Prevention Science is?

The partners of Freemind and ISSUP Brasil, Rodrigo Flaire – State Coordinator of Drug Policies of São Paulo – and Claudemir dos Santos – Technical Director of Prevention of COED-SP, in this video, explain and give examples of what is and how prevention science can be used to make decisions based on scientific evidence. Here's what they say:

Science is a branch of knowledge of empirical* nature, logical and systematic, in which it is possible to validate and demonstrate the data and results, with methodology.

In the science of prevention, despite a...

National and international drug prevention networks, community leaders and strong community coalitions are the key to changing public attitudes and reducing the availability of illicit drugs worldwide. Some effective tactics include promoting drug demand reduction principles and raising awareness of the social consequences of drug abuse and addiction. Below you will learn about many other strategies that have been implemented and have successfully reduced drug use from a global perspective to the site.

How can we prevent drug use around the world?

- We need to make people aware that drug...