Abstract

“Communities That Care” is an evidence-based drug use prevention system currently undergoing cultural adaptation for Brazil. It involves community leaders in developing preventive plans grounded in data on youth risk and protective factors. Using a cross-sectional design and mixed methods, the study included 326 adolescents from three schools in the pilot community who completed the Communities That Care Youth Survey. Descriptive statistics and association tests were applied. Subsequently, focus groups were conducted with 26 students to qualitatively explore the risk and protective data. Results indicated higher consumption levels of alcohol and other drugs among girls, with alcohol use being particularly significant. The qualitative analysis identified multifactorial elements related to high substance use among adolescents, such as family dynamics, social belonging, media influence, and emotional factors. The findings highlight the need for preventive plans that are responsive to contemporary social transformations and gender inequalities that influence adolescent behavior.