Get Ready

Targeted Drugs: Alcohol, Cannabis, Cocaine, Drugs (General), "Ice" (Methamphetamine), “Party Drugs”/MDMA/Ecstasy, Tobacco

Gold

This resource is supported by multiple published studies.

Year:

Year 7–8, Year 9–10

Time Allocated

7 lessons or more

Links to National Curriculum

Origin

Australian

Cost

Free

Available

Get Ready is managed by the Victorian Department of Education and Training.
Click below to be directed to the Victorian Department of Education and Training website to access the Get Ready programs.

Access Get Ready

Developers

Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Edith Cowan University, University of Melbourne Youth Research Centre.

Format

The program is designed to be administered by teachers and includes curriculum-based materials for Year 7–9 students:

Year 7: 10 x 60 minute lessons
Year 8: 10 x 60 minute lessons
Year 9: 10 x 60 minute lessons

Teacher and Student handbooks are available, as well as "trigger" videos that provide a starting point for discussion (available for Years 8 and 9 only).

Training:
Two days of professional training is recommended.
The effectiveness of implementing the program without specialist training is not yet known.

Summary

The Get Ready evidence-based drug and alcohol education program for Years 7-9 has been trialled in 21 schools, involving 1750 students. The program received the Excellence in Prevention and Community Education Award, one of nine National Drug and Alcohol Excellence awards in 2012.

Each teacher manual provides contextual advice for teachers on the use of the material with students. It is recommended that the 10 lessons be delivered sequentially, as research supports this as the most effective delivery method. Opportunities for reinforcement of student knowledge are supported in the resource.

Topics covered at each year level are presented below.

Lesson	Year 7	Year 8	Year 9
1	Change, challenge & opportunity	What is a drug? Introduction & definitions	Priorities and Concerns
2	Expectations & dealing with pressures	Alcohol, effects & standard drinks	Alcohol & Cannabis guidelines
3	Strengths & solutions	Party Behaviours & Alcohol	Standard drinks & reducing alcohol-related harms
4	Cigarettes - effects on the body	Prevalence & Norms	Effects/risks of amphetamines, drug-free alternatives
5	Cigarettes - image & invitations	Tobacco	Drugs, disinhibition, sexual vulnerability & violence
6	Alcohol effects & pressures	Cannabis	Risks related to injecting drug use
7	Alcohol - standard drinks	Risk Reduction	Positive self-talk, refusal skills and peer negotiation
8	Alcohol & harm minimisation	Social and media influences	Getting help and talking with adults
9	Assertion and negotiation skills	Options & Decisions: Strategies to reduce harms	Responsible Partying
10	Learning Quiz	Standing up for yourself	Looking ahead

Benefits

Increases knowledge about alcohol and other drugs
Increases communication between parents and students about alcohol
Reduces alcohol consumption
Decreases alcohol related harms
Reduces tobacco smoking
Reduces tobacco smoking related harms.

Evidence Base

The effectiveness of implementing the program without specialist training is not yet known, as all the studies listed below incorporated two days of professional teacher training. Benefits of the Get Ready program for Years 8 and 9 have been demonstrated in Australia as listed below under sources.