"Pictures (and Drugs) at an exibition"

Background
Nowadays there is a vast amount of scientific knowledge on drugs. What is completely missing is the spreading of an overall culture on the topic, which develops a critical knowledge regarding the history of man and his relationships with psychoactive drugs. Schools can make an important contribution on this new approach to the drug prevention. 
Methods
The arrangement of a traveling art exhibition, available in schools, museums and other institutions, which encourages teenagers, teachers, specialists and citizens to question on how the complex phenomenon of drug taking has accompanied our history, with a significant impact on our culture and lifestyles. This approach is developed through a series of posters that investigate how drugs have been considered through the world of art, comics and cinema, also developing a remarkable influence on the world of music and music events, particularly with psychedelic drugs. A section of the exhibition is also dedicated to how communication on this topic has been delivered by institutions and NGOs. The exhibit is created for students and citizens, with free access and through the organization of guided tours. .
Results
Within the years in which the project was implemented in the Emilia Romagna region and throughout Italy (since 2013), assessment questionnaires were distributed to the target groups evaluating the impact of the project, which presents as a primary objective, the dissemination of knowledge on the topic of prevention of drugs abuse. The results demonstrate that this approach is essential and incisive for the spreading of concepts such as use, abuse and addiction, prevention and harm reduction among the target groups. In addition, the distance between the adult and teen’s mind set is reduced as the communication codes, the contents and the attitudes of the speaker are more similar and close to the direct target. The posters exhibition’s format has attracted the attention of the main mass-media, bringing the debate on drugs from a predominantly "criminal" approach to a destigmatizing cultural approach.
Conclusions
The challenge of spreading culture on drugs and drugs addiction through an art exhibition has encouraged dialogue among young people and adults, helping to understand how the world of drugs consumption goes beyond the simple evaluation of the effects and risks involved, but instead, it concerns individuals and society as a whole. The use of drugs in its various aspects influences everyone, those who use them and those who do not: promoting a destigmatization policy which could help both groups. The destigmatization of the phenomenon facilitates communication and intergenerational dialogue on the phenomenon itself, trying to consider culture on drugs as an important and innovative form of prevention, able to attract teenagers and develop their critical thinking.