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Toxico: Prevention and Intervention in Schools

The Toxico program offers universal prevention workshops and raises awareness with youth aged 12 to 17 on the risks associated with screen time and psychoactive substances. Supported by the Direction régionale de santé publique (DRSP), the program has been implemented in schools to answer students’ questions, satisfy their curiosity, and quickly identify students who are more at risk to better support them.

Harm Reduction

Underpinned by a harm reduction approach, qualified prevention workers provide evidence-based interventions, which meet youth where they are, all in a warm, welcoming, and non-stigmatizing environment.

The program’s 3 foundational approaches are:

Universal Prevention

Prevention workers prepare and facilitate grade-specific workshops in schools.

 

These workshops aim to educate students on the risks associated with psychoactive substance use and screen time through interactive, practical activities that are relevant to their lives. To reinforce these prevention efforts, kiosks are also set up during the school year to respond to local needs and increase opportunities for awareness raising.

Targeted Intervention

The program offers individual support to youth who need it. Prevention workers meet with youth to explore issues, reasons, consequences, and the place psychoactive substance use or screen time takes in their life. One-on-one follow-up meetings provide youth with personalized support to achieve their goals.

Summer and Community Program Components

Prevention workers become familiar faces in students’ everyday life and students become used to seeing them at school.

 

Prevention workers also facilitate various activities in the community to sustain the relationships built during the school year, offer a continuity of services, and widen students’ safety net, thus contributing to their sense of belonging.

Direct Links

With the collaboration of the Direction régionale de santé publique (DRSP), and aligned with the Healthy Schools approach, the Toxico program aims to ensure that all youth have access to substance prevention services to curb the development of problematic or improper use of psychoactive and non-psychoactive substances and screens.

Students in our partner schools can request to join the program on their own or be referred to the program by school staff.

Partner Schools

Since 2012, the YMCA has been working directly with Montréal schools and school boards and, to date, the program has been implemented in close to 20 schools. The Toxico program also relies on funding from the Direction régionale de santé publique (DRSP) to carry out its mission.

The YMCAs of Québec offers the Toxico program in the following school boards:

Other Prevention-Focused Programs