The fun-filled science event, which lasted all morning, was hosted by the UIC Sant Cugat campus. The effects of consuming alcohol and drugs were explained, first aid was taught and the importance of taking good care of yourself was discussed. About 50 nursing students participated in the event as volunteers.

The event began with a workshop on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), in which the 350 students actively participated. Forty training mannequins were used to practice the resuscitation techniques, led by nursing students who behaved like real professionals, given that they attended to necessary medical emergencies.

After the CPR workshop, a lecture took place for the parents of the participating students. It was given by Ruth Castillo from Proyecto Hombre, who explained how to detect warning signs in their children in order to prevent them from turning to drug use and other risky behaviour.

At the same time, three workshops on alcohol, drugs and first aid were given to the students, who moved from one to the other in teams. In the alcohol workshop, the effect that the consumption of toxic substances has on visual perception was explained and illustrated using special glasses.

Dr. Cristina Monforte, the Director of the UIC Department of Nursing, was pleased with how the event went. “We achieved our goal, which was to contribute to making society more aware of health issues", she said. Dr. Monforte emphasized the fact that it was the students who had trained the participants. “In education, it is a proven fact that more is learned through peer teaching. Our students become very professionally minded once they have to take on the same tasks that nurses do”, she explained.

“Today's event offered two things that are especially valuable to our town. First, its content: promoting health among young people, given its particular focus on substance abuse. And second, its methodology. It was prepared and carried out by UIC nursing students and this allowed them to put into practice what they're learning in the classroom, while at the same time providing a service to the town's youth”, said Esther Salado, the Councillor of Education and Family for Sant Cugat town council, who also actively participated in the event. “The value of the learning and service methodology is that it encourages student learning through a social commitment with their community. I should also point out that peer teaching, between young university students and young secondary-school students, has great pedagogical potential”.

Among others, the event was attended by Marisa Ridao, the former Director of Strategic Nursing Management for the Catalan Department of Health. It was the second Good Health Day, held in response to the success of the first edition, which took place in April 2012 as part of the UIC Year of Nursing. The Year of Nursing was celebrated to highlight the leadership of the nursing profession and the important role that nurses play in society.