Understanding Drug Education: Promoting Awareness and Prevention

There is a lot of information regarding drugs out there. You just have to turn to pop culture to see how alcohol and drugs are often celebrated and glorified. It is easy for impressionable young minds to be carried away by this glitz and glamor. However, the reality is quite the opposite. Beneath all this, you notice daily reports of drug overdose and the opioid crisis that is taking over lives. This is why drug education becomes the first line of prevention against the ill effects of drugs on people’s health and quality of life.

Drug education equips students and young persons with the knowledge that drugs and other psychoactive substances (legal or otherwise) can have potential adverse impacts on their lives. While it is not mandated in the U.S., certain programs like Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) have been consistently implemented in educational institutions. These education programs are aimed at preventing the use of controlled substances, gang membership, and violent behavior.

Drug education empowers students and young persons with the knowledge to understand the risks, impacts, and consequences of substance use. By raising awareness regarding the factors that lead to drug use and the dangers of controlled substances, these programs aim not only to reduce harm but to prevent substance use before it can even begin.

As per the CDC report, 13% of Americans aged 12 years and older engaged in illicit drug use, which is a significant increase from 2019. This is only going to get worse, and hence, providing young minds with the information regarding the dangers of substance use goes a long way in preventing the same.

The onus of drug education is not entirely on educational institutions, however. In fact, parents, other caregivers, and even the wider community can sow seeds of knowledge that can inform children’s decision-making as they grow older. By being sensitive and open, parents can create a safe environment where their children feel free to open up about their notions regarding drug use. Just a small conversation can be the root of a bigger, safer change.

• Most substance use begins in school. For instance, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) reports that, on average, alcohol use begins at 12 years of age and marijuana use begins at 14 years of age. Therefore, there is a need for drug education at educational institutions and even at home. It enables children and young people to:
• Become aware of the potential dangers of substance use.
• Identify and avoid triggers and high-risk conditions.
• Develop strategies to prevent substance use.
• Make healthy and safe choices to lead sober lives.

All effective drug education programs need to have certain key components:

• Need to adopt a “whole of school approach,” which refers to considering different factors like having good relationships with parents, teachers, peers, counselors, and the community.
• Must have clearly defined educational outcomes.
• Must be age-appropriate and culturally based.
• Be credible, timely, meaningful, and delivered by informed teachers.
• Must provide knowledge regarding the potential dangers of substance use, and at the same time, they need to recognize risk and protective factors.
• Equip students with relevant skills, like life skills, social skills, and coping strategies, to deter them from an inclination to substance use.
• Need to be provided in the context of health education that focuses on other mental health conditions and overall well-being.
• There is a need to ensure there is a positive climate in educational institutions, which is characterized by safe and supportive environments and collaborative relationships between students and teachers.

Drug education programs mainly fall into two categories - abstinence-based and harm-reduction programs.

Abstinence-based programs aim to prevent substance use by:

• Educating children and young people regarding illicit substance use
• Providing information regarding the dangers of illicit substance use.
• Emphasizing abstinence over everything else.

Harm-reduction programs are different from abstinence-based programs in that they accept that substance use is inevitable. Instead, they aim to reduce the dangers associated with substance use by:

• Educating children and young people about safe drug use.
• Importance of using sterile needles.
• Not driving under the influence of any substance.
• The need for naloxone.
• The importance of reaching out to seek professional help.

Abstinence-based programs like D.A.R.E did not find great success. They did not lead to any significant reduction in substance use and, in fact, some studies also indicate that they had a counterproductive effect. So, from the 2020s onward, there has been a shift toward harm-reduction programs.

1.) What is the goal of drug education?

The goal of drug education must be to equip students and young people with the knowledge regarding illicit drug use, the dangers of illicit drug use, and provide them with skills that deter them from engaging in drug use.

2.) At what age should drug education start?

Drug education must typically begin before initial experimentation, so this needs to be from primary school onward.

3.) How can parents get involved in drug education?

Parents can get involved in this by encouraging open conversations at home, ensuring that drug education programs are implemented at their child’s educational institution(s), and getting involved in these programs wherever possible.