In a proactive new push to address youth substance use, Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Health, Wellness and Nutrition has rolled out the Peer Vybz training initiative, a community-centered program that puts young people in the driver’s seat of prevention efforts. Targeting teens aged 13 to 15, the initiative is designed to equip adolescents with the tools to make healthy, informed choices for themselves, while empowering them to spread anti-substance-use messages to their peers across schools and local neighborhoods.
Spearheaded by the Substance Abuse Advisory Council Secretariat (SAACS), the program was developed directly in response to feedback from young people across the island’s secondary school system. SAACS Programme Assistant Barry Modeste explained that teens consistently voiced a desire to lead prevention conversations among their own age groups, rather than receiving messages exclusively from adult leaders. This direct youth input shaped the entire framework of the Peer Vybz initiative, which centers youth autonomy to reach groups that adult educators and public health workers often cannot access.
“Young people move through social spaces – both formal and informal – that adults simply don’t have entry to,” Modeste noted. “That gives them a unique opportunity to be a consistent, trusted voice that encourages their peers to avoid alcohol and drug use.” Beyond immediate prevention, the initiative also delivers long-term public health benefits: by curbing youth substance use, the program will reduce rates of non-communicable diseases later in life, preserve the potential of Saint Lucia’s young generation, and lay the groundwork for healthier, more thriving communities across the country, he added.
The training curriculum is structured around three core pillars that build skills incrementally for participants. The first pillar focuses on critical thinking and decision-making under pressure, teaching teens how to navigate unwanted pressure to use alcohol or drugs when approached by peers. The second pillar is targeted health education, including deep dives into deceptive marketing tactics the tobacco industry uses to target and recruit young consumers. The third and final pillar, called “empower”, focuses on building participant confidence and leadership skills to help them effectively influence their peers toward healthier choices.
Training sessions combine interactive workshops, hands-on activities, and skills-building exercises led by local well-known personalities including Kiedel Sonny and Kendall Eugene, also known as Scady Dot P. To date, the ministry has hosted training sessions in multiple communities across Saint Lucia, including Vieux-Fort, Dennery and Babonneau.
Participant feedback on the initiative has been overwhelmingly positive. Miandi Bailey, one of the teens who completed the training, said the program gave her valuable preparation to guide her peers toward better decisions. “I learnt a lot from it, and I think it will help me in the future to encourage my peers to do better and to be better people and leaders,” Bailey shared. “When bad influences come my way now, I know how to brush past them and do better.”