The Brians 1 CAS joins the festival of La Mercè with a fun, participatory harm reduction activity

To mark this occasion, the Care and Follow-up Centre (CAS) at Brians 1 prison, funded by CatSalut and managed by the Health and Community Foundation (FSC), ran “The Question Factory”, a “true or false” quiz on health and substance use in which service users took an active role, asking questions and sharing information with the other participants. The activity, based on peer education, took place in a convivial setting, with both professionals and service users taking part.

The Care and Follow-up Centre for Drug Dependency (CAS) at Brians 1, located in the municipality of Sant Esteve Sesrovires in the province of Barcelona, took part in the celebration of La Mercè, patron saint of people deprived of their liberty, with a fun activity focused on health promotion and harm reduction.

The activity took place in the yard of the prison school, as part of a day of communal activities that brought together a number of initiatives designed to encourage contact and exchange among participants.

In this festive, community atmosphere, the service’s professional team presented “The Question Factory”, an innovative game-based activity focused on harm reduction. It consisted of a “true or false” quiz on health and substance use. Participants had to answer a series of questions and received a small gift if they got them right. If they got one wrong, they could try again, making learning enjoyable, accessible and participatory.

One of the highlights of the activity was the active involvement of CAS service users, who took a leading role by asking the questions and interacting with the other participants. This approach, based on peer education, encourages the sharing of knowledge and recognises people’s ability to pass on useful health information and share lived experience.

The festival of La Mercè, a date with deep roots and great significance in the prison setting, proved to be an ideal opportunity to bring training and health resources to people in an approachable way. The activity forms part of the work carried out by the Brians 1 CAS, managed by FSC, to bring drug dependency care and harm reduction strategies closer to the people supported, creating spaces for learning, community living and mutual support.