Primary Prevention Programs In Quebec


The primary drug prevention in Quebec has many programs that encourage preventing youth from using drugs. Athough here are many primary prevention programs in this province, I chose to focus on two programs that support youth and are areas that a social service worker could benefit working at.Two of the many primary prevention programs in Quebec are ‘Centre jeunesse de Québec’(Youth centre of Quebec) and ‘Regroupement des Maisons de jeunes du Québec’ (Youth grouping houses in Quebec).

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Regroupement des Maisons de jeunes du Québec’(Youth grouping houses in Quebec)
The ‘Regroupement des Maisons de jeunes du Québec’(Youth grouping houses in Quebec) is a program held at school during school hours, and “the young people in the program talk about violence and substance abuse prevention, anger management, and healthy peer and family relationships” (Substance). The mission of this program is to promote a “promising approach designed to enhance the inner strength and resiliency of young people and to prevent them from using drugs and resorting to violence” (Substance). This is a very promising program because of the fact that it is held in schools across the province which means that more youth will be educated on the risk factors of using drugs along with other important factors of life like family relationships. The program started in 1980 and has helped “49,000 young people aged between 12 and 18 years [of age].(Substance)”


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Centre jeunesse de Québec’(Youth Centre of Quebec)
The ‘Centre jeunesse de Québec’(Youth Centre of Quebec) program “targets youth aged 10 to 15 years who had been identified as substance abusers and at risk of becoming involved in criminal activity”(Regroupement). It was put in place in three youth centres in Quebec using the “mediation approach to help participants and their parents recognize and mitigate the risk factors associated with anti-social behaviour, drug use and negative peer influence”(Regroupement). This is a great method of helping youth make the right decisions when it comes to drugs despite of their previous life choices and is a very positive and welcoming space for the youth to come receive support.

A Social Service Worker would be a great help to both of these organizations. Social service workers could help emphasize the importance of the prevention of substance abuse because they will be able to participate in workshops along with meetings with the administrators of the programs to help keep their activities current. Helping facilitate new programs is another way in which a social service worker can greatly contribute to these primary prevention programs. One of the main methods of promoting this program would be to have guess speakers talk about the dangers and long term effects of drugs in elementary and high schools so that youth in each community will be educated in about drugs and have a better chance at refraining from using them in the future.


Danielle Styles