The national anti-drug campaign " Aware, Not Addicted", run by the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania, is entering a new stage of expansion and will reach, in the coming weeks, several cities in Romania, continuing the direct dialog with young people, parents and teachers.
After the recent series of actions across the country, the anti-drug campaign will continue its tour and will reach Craiova (March 23), Arad (March 24), Chișineu-Criș (March 25), Călărași (March 26), Pitești (March 31) and Brașov (April 2). In each of these cities, educational meetings dedicated to the local communities will be organized.
The events are built as open dialog spaces where participants can understand, beyond clichés, the real risks of drug use. The discussions will be led by anti-drug expert Cătălin Țone and Gabriela Maalouf, psychologist and education expert of the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania, who will approach the phenomenon from complementary perspectives.
First, the legal consequences and medical effects of substance use will be explained, and second, the emotional mechanisms and social pressures that can influence adolescent behavior will be analyzed. The focus will be on prevention, the development of critical thinking and the importance of family communication.
The program of the meetings includes sessions dedicated to students, where the temptations and risks in everyday life are discussed, as well as meetings with parents and teachers, focused on identifying early signs of consumption and correct intervention. Participants will receive information materials produced by specialists, offering concrete tools for prevention and guidance in at risk situations.
The expansion of the campaign comes at a time when experts warn that the age of onset of drug use is falling steadily and temptations are increasingly accessible to teenagers. In this context, education and community involvement become essential.
Through this new series of actions, the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania is strengthening its mission to take the anti-drug message directly to schools and communities, where prevention can make a difference.
In February and March, the "Aware, not addicted" campaign has already reached several communities in the country, carrying out prevention actions in Iași, Rădăuți, Suceava, Botoșani, Turda, Blaj and Baia Mare, where it brought to the forefront the direct dialog between specialists, students, parents and teachers, contributing to raising awareness of the risks of drug use.
