Ceará Advances Drug Policy Training Amid Maranhão's New Drug Dependence Reintegration Bill
Ceará trains over 120 professionals in a nationwide drug policy course while Maranhão approves a comprehensive drug dependence reintegration bill, advancing regional drug policy efforts in Brazil.
- • Over 120 professionals in Ceará participated in a 40-hour drug policy training course organized by SENAD and Fiocruz.
- • Training covered multiple social sectors including health, penal, and justice systems across various cities in Ceará.
- • Maranhão's Legislative Assembly approved Bill No. 377/2024 establishing drug dependence prevention and reintegration policies.
- • The bill stresses human rights, shared responsibility, multidisciplinary approaches, and social inclusion for drug dependents.
Key details
In November 2025, Ceará has bolstered its efforts in drug policy through the coordination of a comprehensive training course titled “Gente no Centro da Política sobre Drogas no Brasil.” Over 120 professionals from various sectors such as health (SUS), social assistance (SUAS), penal, socio-educational, and justice systems participated in this 40-hour course organized by the National Secretariat for Drug Policy (SENAD) in collaboration with the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz). The course, consisting of 25 hours of synchronous and 15 hours of asynchronous sessions, took place across multiple cities including Fortaleza, Juazeiro do Norte, Sobral, Iguatu, and Crateús. Nara Albuquerque Góes from SENAD at the Ministry of Justice in Ceará played a pivotal role in facilitating this initiative.
Simultaneously, the Maranhão Legislative Assembly approved Bill No. 377/2024, authored by Assembly President Iracema Vale (PSB), which aims to institute a policy for prevention, care, and social reintegration of drug dependents. The bill emphasizes respect for human rights and emphasizes shared responsibility between the state, society, and coordination with judicial and legislative bodies. Its objectives include reducing vulnerability to drug use, promoting social inclusion, and ensuring multidisciplinary, culturally sensitive interventions tailored to users and their families.
These initiatives highlight a regional effort in Brazil’s northeast to enhance drug policy through professional training in Ceará and legislative advances in Maranhão, both foregrounding human rights and collaborative governance in drug dependence strategies.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.