Drug Education Teacher Booklet

6 RECOMMENDED NOT RECOMMENDED ● Interactive teaching methods ● Delivery by trained facilitators (including teachers and trained peers) ● Delivered via multiple, structured sessions once a week ● Challenge misconceptions about substance use as a normative behaviour ● Promotion of realistic perceptions of risk (including immediate and relevant consequences) ● Opportunities to learn about and practise personal and social skills (e.g. decision-making, resistance and coping skills) ● Non-interactive teaching methods e.g. lecturing ● Providing information only, particularly the use of scare tactics ● Non-structured, dialogue-based sessions ● Focusing solely on self-esteem and emotional competence ● Focusing solely on ethical/moral values and decisions ● Use of people with lived experience of drug and alcohol dependence as guest speakers LEVELS OF PREVENTION The field of substance use prevention identifies three types of prevention: ● Universal interventions are offered to an entire population regardless of their level of risk, e.g. to a whole school year group. These interventions generally focus on normative education (correcting young people’s misperceptions about how common drug use is), drug refusal skills and generic problem-solving and coping skills. ● Selective interventions are targeted to groups identified as having an increased risk of drug and alcohol problems compared to the rest of the population. Identifying ‘at risk’ students can be stigmatising and should therefore be managed appropriately. ● Indicated interventions are offered to people experiencing early symptoms of a disorder and are often referred to as ‘early intervention’. CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE PREVENTION A number of reviews have identified the components that are effective in school-based prevention. These include: Research shows that the most effective school-based programs promote a comprehensive social influence approach. This approach comprises three key factors: 1. The provision of accurate, relevant information 2. Resistance training and life skills (e.g. assertiveness, problem-solving and decision-making) 3. Normative education NORMATIVE EDUCATION AIMS TO CHALLENGE THE COMMONLY-HELD MISCONCEPTION AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE THAT 'EVERYONE IS DOING IT'. THIS CAN BE DONE SIMPLY AND EFFECTIVELY BY PROVIDING ACCURATE DATA ON RATES OF ALCOHOL AND DRUGS USE. THESE ARE OFTEN MUCH LOWER THAN YOUNG PEOPLE BELIEVE. SEE PAGE 3 OF THIS BOOKLET FOR LATEST STATISTICS