The Elos Program for drug abuse prevention: repercussions in the daily life of schools

Abstract We discuss repercussions of the implementation of the Elos Program for the prevention of drug abuse (Ministério da Saúde, 2013-2017) regarding the alteration of processes of subjection, isolation and disrespect present in school daily life. In three schools in the metropolitan area of São Paulo we followed the implementation of the Program – a partnership between teachers and health professionals to organize a game between teams of students. Five focus groups and nine individual interviews were conducted with teachers, health professionals, pedagogical coordinators, and school administrators; and 20 group meetings with eight to ten students from six to eight years of age each group. The qualitative analysis gave visibility to changes in the institutional relations intensified by group practices, permanent renegotiation, and by processes of implication of oneself – teachers and students – established by the practice of the game, with effects on the amplification of the power to learn.