NCJ Number
182392
Date Published
1999
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Key issues in drug education in schools in the United Kingdom are reviewed, with emphasis on school-based interventions and some of the theoretical and practical issues informing these interventions.
Abstract
Several drug education interventions have been implemented in schools in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, including drug education through curriculum subjects, special programs, and the ethos of the school. Evaluations of drug education interventions indicate success has been limited, and this underlines the need to develop and implement more effective drug education programs. Approaches to drug education have been categorized as follows: (1) information-based approaches (fear arousal, factual information, and harm reduction); (2) life skills-based approaches (values and skills, personal and social competencies, and social influences); (3) resistance training approaches focused largely on resistance to peer pressure; (4) alternatives-based approaches, usually in community settings to improve the social environment and with opportunities for leisure or work-related activities; and (5) peer-based approaches. Drug education and prevention approaches in schools should focus on meeting the psychological and social needs of young people in the wider context of personal and social development. Specific good practices in drug education encompass identifying needs in terms of drug-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavior; identifying local patterns and prevalence of drug use; establishing a range of intervention objectives that relate to individual and community needs; clarifying expectations of and support from stakeholders; ensuring school officials support realistic interventions; employing appropriate teaching and learning methods; ensuring interventions are appropriate for developmental stages and are culturally sensitive; and evaluating drug education using realistic criteria. 45 references and 1 table