6 June 2013 - Families have the potential to be the most powerful protective force in the lives of children and youth. Healthy family relationships prevent children and adolescents from engaging in drug use, crime and risky behaviour. With this in mind, the UNODC Office in Mexico joined forces with Televisa Foundation - the corporate responsibility arm of Mexican television giant Televisa - in a campaign to foster the family as a protective shield against drug abuse.
Televisa Foundation's Mejor en Familia campaign (Spanish for Better in the Family) is an initiative to provide information and strategies for families to cope with common issues young people face today: drug abuse and dependence, health, education, promoting self-esteem, and addressing bullying, among others. The campaign offers materials tailored to young people themselves, parents, grandparents and teachers, and aims to educate and equip families with good parenting strategies that can increase preventive and protective values.
In order to create materials that resonate with a young audience, UNODC and the Televisa Foundation created a group of experts from public, private and civil society organizations - such as the National Center for the Prevention and Control of Addictions (CENADIC), Narcotics Anonymous, and the Mexican Institute for Prevention and Treatment of Addictions (IAPA) - who recommended a number of techniques to be employed in the development of messages.
The result is a series of seven radio and television spots, as well as informative products for print and digital media. The campaign's website further offers number of articles on matters related to physical and mental health, and telephone counselling is also provided.
UNODC Representative in Mexico Antonio Mazzitelli said the initiative has identified new areas of activity, such as a the creation of a drug abuse terminology guide and the development of new criteria for prevention activities. "The synergy reveals great potential to strengthen the human capital and experience already available in Mexico with the common aim of preventing drug abuse" he concluded.
Link to the Mejor en Familia Campaign (Spanish)
