Drug Prevention
michaelOctober 21, 2019comment (0)

How to Choose the Right Programs for Drug Prevention?

Ever since the 1980s, we have had different types of programs and campaigns whose primary objective was to warn people about the dangers associated with substance abuse. Creating awareness about the effects of substance abuse, the consequences of addiction, and the ways to avoid drug consumption is extremely important, and such programs for drug prevention can help save lives.

The need for drug prevention programs is greatest in communities that have a high incidence of addiction and substance abuse. For children growing up communities or families that have a history of substance abuse and addiction, the consumption of legal as well as illicit drugs can become normalized, even expected. Such kids often face peer pressure and other types of social compulsions that push them down the road of addiction, alcoholism, and drug abuse.

Choosing the Best Programs for Drug Prevention

It can be very difficult, for children and adolescents growing up in these circumstances, to say no to drugs and alcohol. This is because they are surrounded by peers and adults who might turn a blind eye to their substance abuse or even encourage it. In such circumstances, external intervention is required to help such adolescents transition into adulthood without the burden of addiction weighing them down.

This is why choosing the right programs for drug prevention is so important, especially for schools catering to vulnerable communities and at-risk students. Some factors that should be taken into account when making the selection have been listed below.

  1. Length and Flexibility

The length and flexibility of the program and its sections will affect the level of engagement from students that it receives. The best programs for drug prevention are divided into small, easy-to-understand sections that will ease teenagers and adolescents into the realm of drug-prevention without boring them or overwhelming them with information.

Moreover, the program should be self-directed and reasonably flexible for maximum impact. This will allow teenagers to become independent agents in their own lives and enable them to take responsibility for their actions. In turn, this approach will result in greater engagement as students become personally invested in their future development, rather than being passive participants in someone else’s plans.

  1. Presentation Format

The way in which the program is presented to teenagers and adolescents may also make a huge difference in the level of interest, engagement, and follow-through. Handing students a few pamphlets or booklets with the relevant information will result in the message being ignored and forgotten by the target audience.

On the other hand, if the programs for drug prevention are presented in the form of a series of well-made videos, power-point presentations, or even live skits, the impact on the minds of the students will be far greater. Once the adolescents are invested in the narrative or story, they will remember the lessons being imparted for years to come and try to implement them in their own lives.

  1. Research Based Program

All the information imparted within the drug prevention program must be research derived and evidence-based. This will help build trust and credibility, making sure that the teenagers will take the lessons seriously. If such credibility is not there or if the kids can spot any loopholes in the information being provided, they will lose faith in the program and begin questioning all aspects of what they have been taught.

An evidence-based program designed to prevent drug consumption among students will have a much greater and more long-lasting impact, although it might require a greater investment of time and resources upfront. Moreover, it will also provide the students with the resources and materials they need in order to pass on their knowledge to their friends and peers.

  1. Life Skills

Of all the programs for drug prevention available in the market, it is best to choose the one which focuses on the development of life skills in teenagers and adolescents. This is because life skills enable the students to become critical thinkers and savvy decision-makers in their own right. They no longer have to depend on other people to help them differentiate between right and wrong.

Students who have received life-skills training are therefore much more adept at dealing with personal and interpersonal crises and handling peer pressure. They have superior emotional management skills and can make better decisions, even in stressful and potentially dangerous situations. Life-skills training not only helps adolescents avoid substance abuse, it also enables them to handle life and its many problems more skillfully.

In Conclusion

Teachers and school administrators looking for the best programs for drug prevention should check out the websites of some of the most reputed drug prevention institutions in the country, such as Real Prevention. Such organizations have years of experience in the realm of substance abuse prevention, and can therefore design programs that are both effective and easy to administer. Finding the right product may not be easy, but we mustn’t forget that just one great drug prevention program can save hundreds of young lives!

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michaelAugust 31, 2019comment (0)

How can Drug Prevention Programs Help Counter Substance Abuse in Young Adults?

Substance abuse is a growing menace that has enveloped our younger generation today!

Young adults tend to have a fearless attitude during their transitional years between teenage and adulthood. These formative years are part of a phase wherein they are highly susceptible to drug addiction. Children coping with extreme mental trauma due to circumstances that are beyond their control, such as parents’ divorce, shifting of residence or schools with varied educational patterns, often display signs of increased frustration levels.

Initially, adolescents exposed to this scenario begin to occasionally indulge in minor vices such as smoking and drinking as a sense of rebellion and blame it on the difficulties or depression associated with their inconsistent lifestyles.

Gradually, peer pressure and the need to escape from reality tempts these young adults to attend parties wherein harmful drugs are easily accessible, thereby turning them into full-blown addicts in a short period.

Medical research has proven that the human brain is in a continuous state of cognitive development until we reach our mid-twenties. Therefore, maintaining a healthy mental balance during that period must be considered as a priority by every individual. Regular use of drugs can hurt on the human brain and cause major health setbacks in the long run. In most cases, the general lack of awareness in young adults about adequate drug prevention programs increases their possibility of feeling trapped in a vortex of substance abuse.

Presently, there is an urgent need for us to focus on creating effective drug prevention programs such as ‘Keepin It Real’ to help the younger generation overcome their addiction to harmful drugs.

How Can Drug Prevention Programs At ‘Keepin It Real’ Help Counter Substance Abuse In Young Adults?

Young adults of our generation play an integral part in building a firm foundation for our society. If you let substance abuse affect our youngsters, then the dream of a bright future for the entire nation comes to an absolute stand-still.

‘Keepin It Real’ is an innovative drug prevention program that is investing a lot of efforts in guiding young addicts recover from the pitfalls of substance abuse.

This landmark initiative believes in educating the addicts about the multiple risks that can affect their health due to early drug use. A few of these hazards associated with early drug use have been listed herewith:

  • Memory loss.
  • Lack of concentration.
  • Poor social skills.
  • Violent behavior.
  • Deterioration in physical health.
  • Erratic emotional outbursts.

All these above-mentioned disabilities are known to affect the academic performance of drug users. Many of these juvenile addicts join street gangs to support their drug habit and eventually face run-ins with the local law enforcement agencies due to violent crimes committed under the influence of drugs. These incidents can ruin the career prospects of the youngsters and leave them emotionally scarred for life.

At ‘Keepin It Real’, a lot of effort is invested by the program managers to understand the background of the young addicts. This is done to ascertain the root cause of the problems that have adversely impacted their mental health. Thereon, the adolescents go through intensive therapy sessions that are conducted through group meetings or on an individual basis at schools, churches, community halls or at their homes.

These programs are conducted in a phased manner by experienced mentors and are usually planned for specific age-groups or schools after evaluating the extent of substance abuse in that particular area or community.

In depth, studies are conducted regularly by scientists across the nation to determine the extent of brain damage occurring due to substance abuse. These observations enable the program coordinators at ‘Keepin It Real’ to provide valuable insights to young addicts on the ill-effects of long-term drug use.

Drug prevention programs need to be encouraged by one and all as research conducted by SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) in 2014 revealed statistics that alarmed the nation.

An estimated 1.7 million individuals between the ages of 18 to 25 were reported to be impacted by mental health disorders due to substance abuse in that year alone. Further research in 2016 indicated that this figure had risen considerably and these numbers are expected to grow manifold by 2020 if effective preventive measures are not initiated at the earliest.

What Are The Essential Factors That Improve The Efficacy Of A Drug Prevention Program?

The government has identified the following measures in drug prevention research that need to be implemented to improve the efficacy of these programs:

Young adults need to be encouraged to openly discuss their fears and insecurities.

  • Family bonds between adolescents and their parents need to be stronger.
  • Drug prevention agendas need to be publicized with utmost clarity through interactive community forums.
  • Spreading the anti-drugs stance through multiple modes of communication as well as social media platforms.
  • Emphasis on confidence-building measures in the younger generation through counseling at educational institutions.

Drug prevention programs such as ‘Keepin It Real’ are helping young adults to effectively counter substance abuse and re-discover the joys of living a healthy, drug-free life!

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All You Need to Know About HPV Prevention
michaelJuly 31, 2019comment (0)

5 Drug Prevention Tips for Young Adults

Early exposure to drugs increases the chances of a young adult of getting addicted to substance abuse. Keep in mind, drugs change the brain and this can prompt addiction and other severe health issues. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 700,000 Americans died from overdosing on a drug from 1999 to 2017. Moreover, over 21 million Americans suffer from at least one type of addiction, yet only 10 percent of this population receives the necessary treatment. So, before it gets too late, it’s important we thought of drug prevention.

Studies have demonstrated that research-based projects, as described in NIDA’s Principles of Substance Abuse Prevention for Early Childhood: A Research-Based Guide study and Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders study, can essentially decrease addiction to tobacco, liquor, and other drugs in the early years of an individual’s life. Also, while numerous social factors influence drug use patterns when young adults see drug use as destructive, they frequently reduce their degree of usage.

How can Schools and Communities Help Young Adults Fight Drug Addiction?

Here’s how the school authorities can help the students avoid drug use.

  1. Help then Learn How to Handle Everyday Pressure

    The failure to manage ordinary life pressures is one of the significant reasons that drive individuals to use drugs and liquor. For some individuals, drugs and liquor usage works as an escape route to get away from the harsh realities of life. Planning ahead and confiding in people who can help you or just provide a patient ear can be used as a drug prevention approach.

School authorities must, therefore, arrange for special classes that aim at increasing communication between the students as well as the teachers to help them understand that there is someone who can help them handle the pressure they are unable to cope with.

  1. Help Young Adults to Deal with Peer Pressure

    The most compelling driving factor for young adults to start using drugs is because that their friends put pressure on them to try substance to fit in with the group. Everyone wants to be accepted and young adults end up doing things they ordinarily wouldn’t do, just to fit in. In these cases, teaching these adolescents some core life skills and the power of saying “no” will work well as a drug prevention method. Many drug prevention programs have been developed on these lines that help adolescents understand that all the things done under peer pressure is not right and sometimes they have to back off even if it means not be included in the popular group.

  2. Break the Boredom

    Most smokers say that they smoke not because they’re addicted to cigarettes but because they have nothing to do. If this is true for cigarettes, no argument can say that it’s not true for drugs.

    Involvement in creative and challenging tasks can combat the need to rely on drugs and substance for amusement. Therefore, school authorities and communities together and separately can come up with activities to keep the young adults engaged from indulging in drugs.

Sweat it out. Try to find some time for at least 30 minutes of exercising. As per an examination at the Mayo Clinic, exercise decreases stress, reduces depression and tension, improves sleep, and uplifts the mood. Those new to exercise shouldn’t feel scared. The research recommends a basic energetic walk is sufficient to receive these rewards and act on drug prevention.

  1. Eat a Balanced Diet

    Following a good, balanced eating routine and practicing every day is another method for averting drugs and alcohol addiction. Being healthy and dynamic makes it simpler for individuals to manage life stresses. This, thus, lessens the compulsion to depend on drugs to manage pressure. A sound eating routine and normal exercise every day promote the release of happy hormones in the mind and body.

  2. Help Young Adults Seek Help for Mental Illnesses (if any)

    Mental health is still a taboo among many and is still considered as one being mad. Given that there are no physical symptoms of mental health conditions like fever or a rash, people often do not even understand that they are sick and need medical help.

Mental health conditions such as anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and bipolar disorders go hand in hand with substance abuse frequently. It is more likely for teenagers to develop addiction due to mental health issues and the responsibility of guiding them to seek medical help falls on the school authorities and the community as a whole.

Final Thoughts

While these are only a few ideas that can help ensure drug prevention, it’s significant for an individual who has effectively built up a dependence to look for drug and alcohol addiction recovery treatment. Numerous dependable drug prevention programs may come out to be massively valuable in such cases. All one needs to do is to embrace it wholeheartedly.

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michaelJune 27, 2019comment (0)

Drug Prevention for the New School Year: How can Drug Abuse Affect Your Academics?

Did you know that the human brain keeps developing until the age of 25?

Anything that disrupts this development process – including substance and alcohol abuse – will affect the overall capabilities of the brain.

You may have seen seniors or peers use drugs and alcohol and maybe at some point of time even felt tempted to take a swig. But did you ever ask what that one puff of smoke or that one swig of beer will cost you?

Any kind of trauma or substance that affects the brain’s internal wiring will impede normal brain functions. Taking drugs is one of the many ways you can damage the delicate organ that is your brain. How, you may ask.

Well, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), our brain depends on neurotransmitters, which are basically chemicals that transfer message signals from one part of the brain to the other. Each neurotransmitter attaches itself to a similar receptor – as a key fits into a lock – to travel the right path.

When you use drugs, it interferes with and disrupts the normal patterns of the neurotransmitters, resulting in the signals being delivered at the wrong destination. The chemical structure of the drugs is made up in a way that can imitate the composition of a neurotransmitter and behave like it to connect with a receptor, thus altering the activity of the nerve cells. Therefore, the signals emitted by the brain reach the wrong destinations and this can resets the way your brain and body react and act in certain situations.

Long term use of drugs can permanently affect the way your brain retains and processes information. In turn, this will affect the way you think, remember, behave, learn, concentrate, and solve problems.

This is why school districts and individual school authorities are introducing quality drug prevention programs from the new school year, so as to make the students aware of the adverse effects of drugs and alcohol abuse on their mental and physical health and overall life.

Drug Abuse Among Middle and High School Students

Drug and alcohol abuse have emerged as major problems in school environments around the world. This has affected students between the ages of 13 and 18 years. A 2016 survey conducted by the NIDA found that 23 percent of 8th graders have already tasted a few sips of alcohol, 9.4 percent of have used marijuana, and 5 percent have used other kinds of illicit drugs.

The use of various kinds of drugs and alcohol is already present in high schools and colleges and is increasing with each passing day. Due to these risks, it is important for students to be aware of the effects these drugs can have on their academic performance by affecting brain functioning.

Research has found that the extent of drug abuse is inversely proportional to the quality of academic performance among teenagers and young adults.

Common Drugs Used by Students and Their Effects On Their Health

Adolescents and young adults are known to use illicit drugs, alcohol, addictive substances, opioids, and OTC drugs. Due to the different chemical compositions, each of these drugs affects a student’s academic performance in different ways. Here, we will have a look at the most common types of drugs used by students and how they affect their life.

1. Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol abuse has emerged as the most common problem among teen-aged students. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, excessive alcohol consumption has resulted in the deaths of more than 4,300 underage youth every year. Moreover, adolescents and young adults between 12 to 20 years of age illegally consume 11 percent of all alcohol in the US, out of which 90 percent of alcohol is consumed during binging drinking sessions.

Effects of Alcohol Abuse on Student’s Academic Performance

A night of drinking will be followed by cognitive deficits that will linger for up to 48 hours, preventing a person from focusing or paying attention to their studies and classes. Moreover, heavy drinking on school nights will lead to high blood alcohol levels the next day, making them too hungover to wake up and get ready for class. Even if they manage to wake up and attend the classes, the quality and quantity of information processed and retained will be quite low.

Apart from this, people tend to sleep longer due to the hangover that can severely disturb the natural REM cycle, leading to increased anxiety, irritability, and jumpiness the next day and immense fatigue the day after.

2. Marijuana

NIDA reported that 0.7 percent of 8th graders, 3.4 percent 10th graders, and 5.8 percent 12th graders used marijuana on a daily basis in 2018 in the US. It has also been reported that 1 in 6 people who use marijuana, took up this habit in their teens and 25 to 50 percent are still addicted in their adult lives.

How does Marijuana Affect Academic Performance?

At some level, marijuana has similar effects on our sleep cycle as alcohol and keeps a person buzzed for a minimum of two days. What marijuana essentially does is that it crushes down the neuronal activity taking place in the hippocampus, thus adversely affecting memory, concentration, and attention spans.

Apart from this, marijuana abuse also increases the heart rate significantly, affects the blood pressure, weakens the heart muscles – all of which can be quite detrimental to those suffering from panic attacks and anxiety. As it takes days for the effects of marijuana to wear off, students using this drug are prone to exhibiting poor academic results and reduced intellectual capabilities.

3. Prescription Drugs

Apart from alcohol and marijuana, opioid abuse and addiction among young adults is another serious problem the US is grappling with. For example, Ritalin, Adderall, and Concerta are stimulants that improve energy levels, enhance brain activity, and increase alertness. Due to these effects, students usually resort to these drugs to help them focus while studying. However, the irony is that regular use of such prescription drugs, which are taken to sharpen the mind, will do the exact opposite in the long term.

Effects of Prescription Drug Abuse on Students’ Performance:

While prescription drugs are used by students to improve their academic performance in school, long-term use of these drugs has been associated with academic problems. Opioids have been linked to brain damage, reducing the person’s ability to take appropriate decisions and behave productively in stressful situations.

Why Join Drug Prevention Programs at School?

With the new school year knocking on the door, it is time to join quality drug prevention programs to help yourself and your friends maintain an impeccable academic record as well as good health. Here are some of the reasons why you might consider joining a drug prevention program at school:

  • Drug prevention programs provide a safe environment where people can clearly communicate their fears and addictions to the program leaders. This will enable the program coordinators to communicate with and support the students to stay clear of drug abuse.
  • The drug prevention program will help the school authorities stay aware of the drug incidents taking place inside the premises of the institution, which in turn will allow them to help the students involved in these incidents by providing them with proper counseling and care.
  • These programs also help the students understand that the teachers are there to help them and are not just authority figures whose job it is to discipline them.

In Conclusion

Drug prevention programs not only help students develop core life skills but also establishes an important line of communicate between them and the teachers at school. It is important for the students to see the teachers are a safe place to confide their fears and addictions, if they want to stay clean and build a good academic record.

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michaelMay 11, 2019comment (0)

4 Ways to Prepare Your Drug Prevention Efforts Before the New School Year Starts

Addiction to drugs and alcohol is one of the major problems affecting young people around the world. For many, the problem starts when they are quite young, as school students are often introduced to addictive substances by their friends and peers. By the time these children reach adulthood, they are already addicts and have been for quite a few years.

Individuals who start substance abuse during their teenage years are also far more at risk of becoming severely addicted to these substances in adulthood. Such an addiction can harm a person’s mental and physical health, relationships, and job performance. Substance abuse can also lead to self-harm, violence, and criminal behavior.

Drug Prevention In School

Mentioned above are some of the most important reasons why this problem needs to be addressed by the school authorities. Teachers and educators can no longer turn a blind eye to the problem of substance abuse among students. One of the best ways to address the issue is by introducing a school-based drug prevention program.

Before the new school year has begun, here are some things you can do to ensure that your drug prevention efforts will be a success. None of the steps mentioned below are easy, and they will require dedicated practice and much willpower. However, it is necessary for educators to adopt these practices if they intend to get their message across to those youngsters who are most at risk of substance abuse.

1. Practice Rigorous Authenticity

If you want students to follow the advice that you dispense, they first need to be able to trust you. Unconditional trust isn’t easy to gain, and it is even harder when one is dealing with teenagers hailing from turbulent families and troubled communities.

Hence, you must practice rigorous authenticity. This means that you have to be completely open and transparent with your students at all times. Rigorous authenticity requires the willingness to be vulnerable, to allow students to see your weaknesses as clearly as you can see theirs.

If you can manage to do that, you will have overcome the greatest hurdle to winning their trust and respect. Before the new school year starts, this is one approach you can practice in order to ensure the success of your drug prevention efforts.

2. Have Uncomfortable Conversations

Talking about alcoholism, addiction, and drug dependence is neither easy nor comfortable. Often, adults have a tendency to try and sanitize the subject matter being discussed, especially when they are talking to children or adolescents.

However, to run a successful drug prevention program, you must be willing to have uncomfortable conversations with your students. You must be willing to talk about the effects of addiction and the consequences of drug abuse, sometimes in vivid detail.

If the student comes from a family that has a history of alcoholism, then you must be willing to talk with them about the challenges of growing up with alcoholic parents and suggest healthy coping mechanisms on a case by case basis.

So, before the new school year starts, you must accept and embrace the idea of having real, honest, and uncomfortable conversations with your students on a regular basis.

3. Provide a Safe Haven

drug prevention programThis ties back to the point about trust-building. Students will not open up about their problems if they sense that the people running the program are judgmental or reactionary. Therefore, you must develop the habit of listening with an open mind, without any judgments or preconceived notions. The children and adolescents must feel safe when confiding in you.

They should be able to talk to you about peer pressure, family issues, and even about their experiences with drugs or alcohol, without having to fear being judged, mocked, or ostracized. Only then will you be able to learn about the individual challenges and struggles of each student, and help them accordingly. And by trying to create a safe haven for your students, you can ensure the success of your drug prevention efforts.

4. Understand Teen Culture:

One way to prepare for the success of your drug prevention efforts is by gaining an understanding of teen culture. Much of adolescent substance abuse is driven by peer pressure, and to be able to counter it effectively, educators must first understand where it comes from and what causes it.

To gain such insight, you must let go of the stereotypical image of teen culture fed to us by mainstream media and immerse yourself in the things that your students enjoy doing and the places where they spend the most time.

By doing so, you will gain valuable knowledge about what types of parties are likely to involve drug use, which hangout areas are frequented by addicts and drug peddlers, and what kind of movies or music glamorizes substance abuse, and which ones discourage it.

It will help you gain a first-hand understanding of which elements of teen culture should be encouraged and which ones need to be strategically phased out through familial and community intervention.

In Conclusion

So if you are trying to design or implement an effective school-based drug prevention program, these are some of the things that you should practice and pay attention to before the start of the new school year. Drug prevention is not an event, it is a process, and in order to be successful, it requires a great deal of patience, determination, and resilience. You can also buy drug prevention programs and materials developed by experienced and reputed agencies or institutions.

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Importance of School-Based Drug Prevention Programs to Stem Substance Abuse
michaelJanuary 14, 2019comment (0)

The Importance of School-Based Drug Prevention Programs to Stem Substance Abuse in Students

For decades, governments and private organizations have been creating campaigns to warn people about the dangers and consequences of substance abuse. Some of these campaigns and programs have been more successful than others. Furthermore, different campaigns and programs are designed keeping in mind a different type of audience. Substance abuse prevention programs designed for adults need to be different from those designed for children and young adults. Likewise, different prevention programs have been designed keeping in mind the ethnic background, financial status, and other attributes of the participants.

Prevention Programs for At-Risk Students

Teenagers and adolescents are part of the demographic that is most at risk of substance abuse. This is doubly true when it comes to children and teens, who hail from dysfunctional families or financially poorer communities. This is because individuals are impressionable and vulnerable to outside influences during their teenage years.

Without proper guidance, therefore, they are quite likely to resort to drug and alcohol abuse to deal with the stress and anxiety of day to day life. Children coming from broken or abusive homes are even more in danger of substance abuse because of the daily struggles that they have to live through on a regular basis.

The Need for School-Based Prevention Programs

Due to the above-mentioned reasons, schools and other educational institutions must organize drug prevention programs to stem substance abuse in at-risk students at the most nascent stages. School-based programs serve a number of important functions.

  • They provide a safe space for children and young adults to talk about their problems with their friends and peers.
  • They allow teachers and school administrators to identify at-risk children and take the necessary steps to help them avoid drug-related problems.
  • School-based programs allow for regular intervention and supervision of at-risk children, as kids spend a significant amount of time each day at school.

The need for a school-based drug prevention program arises because most children spend a significant number of their waking hours within school premises every day. Many of the children most in need of help do not have the required support system at home, as they either come from broken or dysfunctional families. Thus, the responsibility of providing them with guidance and helping them avoid self-destructive habits falls to their teachers, therapists, and school administrators.

When at school, children are ensconced within a safe space, away from the influence of toxic family members, drug-addicted peers, etc. At school, they are in the company of trusted teachers and friends. Thus, school is the best place where an effective drug prevention program can be launched to prevent drug-related experimentation in children.

Characteristics of a Good School-Based Drug Prevention Program

Drug abuse in teenagers is a pervasive problem faced by nations around the world. This phenomenon happens for a number of reasons and there is no single factor that can prevent it. However, there are certain things that most effective drug prevention programs have in common. Some of these have been listed below.

  • Connection: A good drug prevention program must make students feel connected to their teachers, instructors, friends, and peers. Students must feel a connection to the school as a whole. A child or an adolescent who believes that his teachers and friends care about him, his education, and his wellbeing, is less likely to resort to drugs and alcohol as a means of escape from his problems. This connection also encourages children to open up and speak their minds in class, which allows teachers to identify the at-risk students early on and take preventive steps to help them avoid addiction.
  • Health Education: In order to have maximum effectiveness, a drug prevention program must also provide health education that is in line with the National Health Education Standards. These are the expectations for what students must be taught so that they can help promote their own personal health, as well as that of their family and community. As part of the health education, children should be taught, in developmentally appropriate ways, the proper use of certain substances and about the laws (both local and national) concerning substance abuse. Part of this health education should involve the development of decision making and self-management skills in the participating students.
  • Teaching Resources: In order to get the message across, the teachers and instructors involved in the drug prevention program must make use of the world-class teaching resources at their disposal. Resources created by reputable and trusted organizations such as SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) and other associated establishment can be relied upon to provide favorable results for the instructors and the students alike. Some of the best teaching resources offer a full toolkit for teachers leading drug prevention programs at the school level. Such a toolkit may include lessons and material appropriate for every grade level, aligned with the National Health Education Standards.

In Conclusion

These are some of the things that you need to know about the need and efficacy of school-based drug prevention programs. You can learn more by visiting the website of a reputed company offering effective drug prevention programs for children, adolescents, and young adults.

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michaelNovember 30, 2018comment (0)

The Need For a Good Drug Prevention Curriculum for School Children

School children, especially teenagers, are one of the demographic segments most at risk of substance abuse and alcohol addiction. There are two major reasons for this – a lack of experience and a desire to rebel against the norms. Teenagers typically have less experience with the real world than adults. Therefore, they are less likely to fully comprehend the potential negative consequences of drug abuse and the problems that an addiction could cause in later life. The desire to rebel against the instructions of teachers and parents may also drive some teens and adolescents to try illicit drugs.

In the year 2014, over forty-seven thousand people in the United States died of a drug overdose. Over sixty percent of these deaths were caused by an overdose of opioids. However, substance abuse consists of a vast landscape of items and products apart from opioids and stimulants. Not all types of substance abuse are potentially fatal either. However, they can lead to severely negative health outcomes in the long term.

Substance Abuse Statistics

Over fifty million people over the age of 12 reportedly smoke cigarettes on a semi-regular basis. More than twelve million people reportedly smoked one or more packs of cigarettes every single day and could thus be classified as chain smokers. According to data accumulated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), one-fifth of young adults between the ages of 12 and 20 drink alcohol habitually.

More than 4 million people admitted to binge drinking alcoholic beverages at some point in their lives. Additionally, it was found that one in ten young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 confessed to being heavy alcohol users. Also according to SAMSHA, over 28 million people over the age of 12 had used an illegal drug in the past month or so before taking the survey. Most people with a substance abuse problem either used marijuana or were addicted to one form of prescription drug or another. The most common culprit was the addiction to prescription pain relievers.

The Need for a Drug Prevention Curriculum in Schools

With children and adolescents being the most vulnerable to the temptation of drug and alcohol abuse, schools – middle and high school – must adopt an active role in helping spread awareness about the negative consequences of addiction and related habits. This is why schools must develop a robust and comprehensive drug prevention curriculum for their students. This will help the students recognize and avoid situations that might lead to the consumption or use of illicit substances.

This type of drug education program must begin at an early age, as it will help children learn the essential skills needed for drug prevention before they are old enough to face peer pressure for the use of drugs and alcohol. A good drug prevention curriculum at the middle and high school levels will equip children with the tools to make informed decisions about their own health and wellbeing.

Elements of an Effective Drug Prevention Curriculum

In order to be optimally effective, the drug prevention curriculum implemented by a school must have certain features and characteristics. These features are as follows:

  • Media Analysis: A drug prevention curriculum in the school must teach students to critically engage with and analyze media portrayals of drug and alcohol abuse. This enables the children to understand the motivations and goals behind advertisements and thus allows them to be immune to their effects to a great extent. Media analysis must also include openly discussing and talking about the portrayal of drug use in popular culture. This will ensure that the students are not persuaded to use drugs and alcohol after watching their favorite movie star indulge in such activities.
  • Peer Pressure: This is another highly important facet of a good, successful, and evidence-based drug prevention curriculum. Most school students begin using drugs as a result of societal and peer pressure. These forces can often compel teenagers to try drugs, sometimes even against their better judgment, which then leads to addiction. In order to be effective, a drug prevention curriculum must teach students how to recognize and avoid peer pressure, both subtle and overt.
  • Stress Management: Another major reason why teens and adolescents are driven to use drugs is the fact that they are often unable to manage and control their own emotions. In a world full of constant stimulation in the form of gadgets, magazines, social media, and television, it can be easy for teens to constantly compare their lives to those of others. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy, stress, and loneliness. It is well known that these emotions, and the inability to channel them in a healthy and productive manner, can lead to substance abuse in kids. Thus, an effective drug prevention curriculum adopted by middle and high schools must teach students important life skills such as stress management and emotional well being.

In Conclusion

These are some of the reasons why a comprehensive and effective drug prevention curriculum is so important for private and public schools to implement. Such a curriculum or program will enable students to lead healthier and more wholesome lives in the long term. It will also help reduce the incidence of substance abuse and drug addiction in the community as a whole.

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