Read this thread with interest……
I think its fine for schools to do drugs ed, some of the plays that go around schools are performed by people who’ve had first hand experience of using drugs. Who better to educate? Its not only schools that do drugs Ed though. The project I worked at *bought in* other more experienced people at times to perform in Youth Clubs and Community Centres. This sort of work doesn’t come cheap either, it can cost thousands to bring them to your area.
A group I trained back in the 90’s were a group of mothers and other adults who were either reformed addicts or mothers of addicts (quite a well known group internationally now). They went into schools (primary and senior) and other community groups, giving talks about the impact of drugs on their lives. This built up some great relationships with young people out on the street. It meant they knew these local Mothers (most did anyway) and could stop and talk to them about drugs in an open and honest way and bring any other issues that concerned them up. They could then refer these children and young people onto other services , like youth workers, YOT teams etc, and of course the drugs project they set up.
Years later when this project was well established, I was involved with delivering a Peer Drugs Course . These young people were trained up to deliver the same training to other young people in prisons. We also helped them make contact with groups on the outside so they could carry on delivering peer education to other young people when their sentence was finished. For some of these young people they gained a real sense of achievement and made positive changes in their lives.
The only negative issue I had with this particular project (main ages worked with at the project itself were 14 yrs upwards) during the early days was the amount of information given at the project. Drug users had information given on how to inject safely etc etc in the right places. I had a huge issue with that for many years.
Years later I decided I could see the benefits of it but it took me a long time to accept it. What it did was to ensure that young people had the right informationand understood the dangers of injecting in the wrong places and also how to dispose of needles in a proper manner. Thus saving lives in the long run.
If someone is going to try drugs, they will. Its their decision but perhaps its better for them to make a more informed and knowledgeable decision???
What changed my mind?? The amount of senseless deaths of young people who were told the wrong information by other young people or adults. So I’m all for educating young people on drugs issues as drink and sexual health.
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Schools and Drugs education
Sex God
Quote by anais
If someone is going to try drugs, they will. Its their decision but perhaps its better for them to make a more informed and knowledgeable decision???
What changed my mind?? The amount of senseless deaths of young people who were told the wrong information by other young people or adults. So I’m all for educating young people on drugs issues as drink and sexual health.
:thumbup: definitely couldn't have said it better myself!
Sex God
This is a great thread - I've not posted cos I have minimal experience of drugs myself or within the family (apart from legal and prescription of course).
But it did remind me of the day I found out that my son was getting relationship and drugs education around Year 9. He came home and announced "Today we had sex, and next week we're doing drugs."
He'd been working on the wording of that all the way home.
:D:D
My personal view is - it's the parents' job to educate the child, but schools should do it too, partly because many parents don't have the information or back off from the discussion, but also cos schools can provide a fuller and possibly more accurate picture.
But it did remind me of the day I found out that my son was getting relationship and drugs education around Year 9. He came home and announced "Today we had sex, and next week we're doing drugs."
He'd been working on the wording of that all the way home.
:D:DMy personal view is - it's the parents' job to educate the child, but schools should do it too, partly because many parents don't have the information or back off from the discussion, but also cos schools can provide a fuller and possibly more accurate picture.
Anais sounds like your in the same work as me 
In my role as a youth worker, I provide information on all sorts of issues. Drugs being the main topic in work at the moment as many of the kids I work with are using them. These kids are about 13/14 years of age. 2 weeks ago, I delivered a drugs info session and was able to use materials from a referral service. The materials were 'actual drugs'. Not made out of art etc. They were real drugs in a sealed container, and yes, these boxes had all the paraphanalis that goes with each drug. At first, I was weary about using this, but after discussing it with my team, I decided to go ahead. Drugs have all different types of names that are not well known, but allowing the young person to see what a drug looked like for real allows them to have the information to make choices if offered them and know the real name and the consequences.
In this workshop, the over 14s didnt want to know. They believed they knew everything !!!!
It was the under 14s who wanted the information because drugs is highly used in their community and this included the 11 year olds.
We are trained constantly in all areas such as drugs and sex education as it is a 'touchy' subject and our service believes in ensuring staff are fully knowledgeable in what they do.
To be honest, as long as my children are taught the dangers and what the drugs look like by someone who has relevant training, I am all for it being taught in last year of primary school. The worst thing you can teach is to say 'NO' in today's society. Go back to when you was a child. What did you do if your parent said 'NO'. I know what I did !!!!!
Sorry, but one more rant as I am researching this for my dissertation. In Holland, children as young as 9 are being taught about drugs and sex. This is in a country that has the lowest drug addiction rate, child abuse rates, lowest oregnancy rates for under 18s and lowest in the whole of Europe. 9 year olds in Holland know more about drugs than 14 year olds in the UK. This has been proved but I cant find the b***** link to show you all :twisted:
Anyway rant over. Hope I haven't offended anyone and we need more topics like these. Maybe then we can prove that we can govern the country better than the government we got now
In my role as a youth worker, I provide information on all sorts of issues. Drugs being the main topic in work at the moment as many of the kids I work with are using them. These kids are about 13/14 years of age. 2 weeks ago, I delivered a drugs info session and was able to use materials from a referral service. The materials were 'actual drugs'. Not made out of art etc. They were real drugs in a sealed container, and yes, these boxes had all the paraphanalis that goes with each drug. At first, I was weary about using this, but after discussing it with my team, I decided to go ahead. Drugs have all different types of names that are not well known, but allowing the young person to see what a drug looked like for real allows them to have the information to make choices if offered them and know the real name and the consequences.
In this workshop, the over 14s didnt want to know. They believed they knew everything !!!!
It was the under 14s who wanted the information because drugs is highly used in their community and this included the 11 year olds.
We are trained constantly in all areas such as drugs and sex education as it is a 'touchy' subject and our service believes in ensuring staff are fully knowledgeable in what they do.
To be honest, as long as my children are taught the dangers and what the drugs look like by someone who has relevant training, I am all for it being taught in last year of primary school. The worst thing you can teach is to say 'NO' in today's society. Go back to when you was a child. What did you do if your parent said 'NO'. I know what I did !!!!!
Sorry, but one more rant as I am researching this for my dissertation. In Holland, children as young as 9 are being taught about drugs and sex. This is in a country that has the lowest drug addiction rate, child abuse rates, lowest oregnancy rates for under 18s and lowest in the whole of Europe. 9 year olds in Holland know more about drugs than 14 year olds in the UK. This has been proved but I cant find the b***** link to show you all :twisted:
Anyway rant over. Hope I haven't offended anyone and we need more topics like these. Maybe then we can prove that we can govern the country better than the government we got now
Sex God
Quote by mickandmich
Anyway rant over. Hope I haven't offended anyone and we need more topics like these. Maybe then we can prove that we can govern the country better than the government we got now
We're teaching what a branch of our government has decided we should teach though, aren't we? We don't just decide to go it alone.
We are Frecled, but in my opinion, what the government wants us to teach and what they admit to are 2 different things. Totally agree though that we go it alone, but what is important is that we know what we are talking about and are using the right environments that encourage kids to sit up and listen.
Quote by mickandmich
. In Holland, children as young as 9 are being taught about drugs and sex. This is in a country that has the lowest drug addiction rate, child abuse rates, lowest oregnancy rates for under 18s and lowest in the whole of Europe. 9 year olds in Holland know more about drugs than 14 year olds in the UK.
When i read quotes like this, i really dispair of this government/country... and those others too out of touch to take The Dutch lead in these things.
Common sense dictates that education and sensible law enforcement of the type they employ in Holland can work in this country too.
Ironically though, it also doubles as a major venue used for international drug smuggling into this country.
Quote by mickandmich
Anais sounds like your in the same work as me
All very unintentional but yeah was in the field for many years...I was more specialised in accrediting achievements attached to a project that was quite radical in its thinking and organisational set up. My *boss's* were a group of young people ages from 11 - 23 yrs old and they certainly made me earn my pay :smile:
Quote by mickandmich
In my role as a youth worker, I provide information on all sorts of issues. Drugs being the main topic in work at the moment as many of the kids I work with are using them. These kids are about 13/14 years of age. 2 weeks ago, I delivered a drugs info session and was able to use materials from a referral service. The materials were 'actual drugs'. Not made out of art etc. They were real drugs in a sealed container, and yes, these boxes had all the paraphanalis that goes with each drug. At first, I was weary about using this, but after discussing it with my team, I decided to go ahead. Drugs have all different types of names that are not well known, but allowing the young person to see what a drug looked like for real allows them to have the information to make choices if offered them and know the real name and the consequences.
In this workshop, the over 14s didnt want to know. They believed they knew everything !!!!
It was the under 14s who wanted the information because drugs is highly used in their community and this included the 11 year olds.
Yeah we used to have access to this kit... I was fascinated with it, closest Ive ever been to drugs at the time.
It is an eye opener though and a very useful aid to promoting descussion.
Totally agree with the age group mentioned, the older ones do think they know it all and are in some respects harder to reach. So if we target under that age group they grow up to be more well informed young people I beleive...
Quote by mickandmich
We are trained constantly in all areas such as drugs and sex education as it is a 'touchy' subject and our service believes in ensuring staff are fully knowledgeable in what they do.
Training is compuslary for some workers as part of their role here but I dont think all workers get access to good quality training. Ive heard that Wales is better than England for training to a high standard and innovative in how they work..
Good luck in your disseration..... sounds quite interesting.
