According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), an estimated 275 million people used drugs in the year 2020. This is why the East and Central Africa Network for Prevention of Crime and Substance Use Prevention and Treatment are working to promote research and create a platform for vital information sharing on substance abuse and related social ills among regional members.

On the International for Families, C-Sema in collaboration with WFAD HQ and the WFAD East and Central Africa Liaison, Office organised a two-day virtual event that aimed to emphasise the role that families play in preventing and combating substance abuse and crime in society and a one-day country workshop to Tanzania chapter members.

However, to do this, we have to recognise that families are the primary influence that shapes and supports household growth and the individual growth of a person. Families exercise social protection of various issues, in this case, drug prevention.

During the two-day virtual event, we were able to first, pay homage to the presence of families in society, explore the ways in which family members can play a part to combat substance abuse in and out of the family, uncover men’s engagement in parenting and how they can contribute to stable family environments and lastly the roles that children may take on to cope with addiction within the family.

It is important to understand that family-based drug prevention start at home, this includes self-awareness, parent-child communication skills and family bonding. It is significant for families to be aware of the variety of interventions that can be utilized as a response to risk factors, especially because families witness the development stages of their relatives.

Therefore, the role of family members plays ideally a major role in the recovery process, the role is large and important. A healthy functioning family is essential to make the recovery process more effective and for the best possible chance for successfully maintaining sobriety.

Through the right method of encouragement, individuals can be supported and mutual trust can be created. The focus will also be given to the role of men in the current society and how their contribution to a stable family (positive masculinity).

On May 14-15th, 2022 C-Sema, in collaboration with WFAD HQ and the WFAD East and Central Africa Liaison, ran a social media campaign to create awareness amongst the communities on the role that the family plays in the prevention and response interventions on substance use and drug abuse. It aimed to ignite dialogues and share good practices in sustainable and family-friendly urbanisation, including the implementation of the Venice Declaration.

The following outputs were met:

• Social media reach totalling up to 8,404 tweet impressions and 607follower engagements.           
• Instigation of dialogues on good practices within families that cater to creating a stable environment for children to live in and prevent substance abuse.
• A country workshop that capacitated members with tools to engage and publicise the network in Tanzania was attended by 70% of the members.

Examples of Twitter Tweets