Pure Rush: Drug Education Game

• The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, the University of Sydney (formerly the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, The National Drug & Alcohol Centre, UNSW Australia)
• Sydney educational game designers, 2and2.

This interactive game provides a fun and engaging way to learn about the negative effects of drugs. Players navigate through four Australian landscapes avoiding illegal drugs and their effects to get to a music festival before tickets sell out. The game adopts a harm-reduction approach, educating students about the potential harms associated with drug use. A unique aspect of the game is that these messages are communicated explicitly (via short memorable text and graphics) as well as via interactive learning (colliding with drugs results in impaired performance effects).

Avoiding drugs is the key to success as players race for the best “Pure Rush” time. Teachers will find this game useful in supporting Health and Physical Education lessons, and feedback from students indicates they love playing it. 

10–15-minute online game.

• Increased general knowledge of drug(s)
• Increased knowledge of drug-related effects and harms.

Benefits associated with playing Pure Rush have been evaluated in one published study (see below).

Stapinski, L., Reda, B., Newton, N., Lawler, S., Rodriguez, D., Chapman, C. & Teesson, M (2017). Development and evaluation of 'Pure Rush': An online serious game for drug education. Drug and Alcohol Review.