Brasília, 12 de agosto de 2025 – O Brasil commemorates National Youth Day on August 12, a date that aligns with the international observance established by the United Nations (UN) to reflect on the rights and challenges faced by youth, as well as to encourage their participation in social and political issues.
In the country, public policies implemented by the National Secretariat for Drug Policy and Asset Management (Senad) are expanding opportunities and promoting the development of this demographic through initiatives such as the Cria Program: Prevention and Citizenship and the National Public Security Program with Citizenship (Pronasci) Youth. The main goal is to prevent substance abuse and the violence linked to illegal drug markets.
Targeting black individuals living in low-income communities, the Pronasci Youth program addresses those who are the primary victims of lethal violence in Brazil, according to the 19th Brazilian Annual of Public Security. The report shows that in 2024, 48.5% of victims of violent deaths were young people aged up to 29.
Currently, the initiative benefits around 4,000 individuals in states such as Amazonas, Bahia, the Federal District, Pernambuco, and Rio de Janeiro, with expectations to reach 15,000 by 2026, fueled by an investment of nearly R$ 50 million.
Structured upon Pronasci II, established by Presidential Decree No. 11,436/2023, the program aims to facilitate preventive actions against violence associated with illegal drug markets. It specifically caters to individuals aged 15 to 24 who are in a state of aggravated socioeconomic vulnerability and reside in areas with high rates of lethal violence and criminal gang control.
Apoio estrutural
Beyond substance abuse prevention, Pronasci Youth addresses structural vulnerability factors by integrating vocational training, financial support, psychosocial assistance, educational advancement, access to rights, and strengthening community networks. The targeted audience faces challenges such as school dropout, domestic violence, teenage pregnancy, problematic alcohol and drug use, involvement in the socio-educational system, and a strong presence of organized crime in their neighborhoods.
Marta Machado, the head of Senad, underscores that Brazilian youth, especially those from black and peripheral backgrounds, are consistently exposed to violence and a repressive model that fails to protect them. “Our approach is to change this narrative with significant investments and integrated actions that view young people as protagonists rather than targets of criminalization,” she explains.
Programa Cria
Another initiative from Senad, the Cria Program: Prevention and Citizenship, launched in 2024, offers a national strategy for the prevention of problematic alcohol and drug use, violence, and crime, aiming to protect children, adolescents, young people, and communities. The program’s actions focus on three areas: prevention during childhood and adolescence; protection in high-risk contexts; and active territories. Efforts are being made in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz).
The methodologies used in the program—Elos, #Tamojunto, and Strong Families—have a proven record of reducing the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other psychoactive substances among youth, while also contributing to a decline in bullying incidents and binge drinking.
Elos: Building Collectives is a strategy aimed at preventing alcohol and drug use for children aged 6 to 10 in public elementary schools. Meanwhile, #Tamojunto targets adolescents in the latter years of elementary school, particularly those aged 13 and 14. The Strong Families methodology is designed for families with children and adolescents aged 10 to 14.
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