Examine individual changes

'{{Short description|Planned provision of information, resources and guidelines regarding proper usage of drugs}} {{multiple issues| {{unbalanced|date=May 2022}} {{More medical citations needed|date=May 2022}} }} '''Drug education''' is the planned provision of information, guidelines, resources, and skills relevant to living in a world where [[drugs|psychoactive substances]] are widely available and commonly used for a variety of both medical and non-medical purposes, some of which may lead to harms such as [[drug overdose|overdose]], [[injury]], infectious [[disease]] (such as [[HIV]] or [[hepatitis C]]), or [[substance dependence|addiction]]. The two primary approaches to drug education are harm-reduction education and abstinence-based education.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{cite web |year=2009 |title=National Schools Drug Education Strategy 2009 |url=http://www.education.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/2203/NationalDrugEducationStrategy.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130421035758/http://www.education.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/2203/NationalDrugEducationStrategy.pdf |archive-date=21 April 2013 |access-date=26 June 2013 |work=Northern Territory Government |publisher=Department of Education and Children Services}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Henwood |first1=Benjamin F. |last2=Padgett |first2=Deborah K. |last3=Tiderington |first3=Emmy |date=January 2014 |title=Provider views of harm reduction versus abstinence policies within homeless services for dually diagnosed adults |journal=The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research |volume=41 |issue=1 |pages=10.1007/s11414–013–9318-2 |doi=10.1007/s11414-013-9318-2 |issn=1094-3412 |pmc=3675178 |pmid=23404076}}</ref> ==Abstinence-based drug education == Abstinence-based drug education began with the anti-alcohol "[[temperance (virtue)|temperance]] education" programmes of the [[Woman's Christian Temperance Union]] in the United States and Canada in the late 19th century.<ref name="Beck">{{cite journal |last1=Beck |first1=Jerome |title=100 Years of 'Just Say No' Versus 'Just Say Know': Reevaluating Drug Education Goals for the Coming Century |journal=Evaluation Review |date=26 July 2016 |volume=22 |issue=1 |pages=15–45 |doi=10.1177/0193841X9802200102 |pmid=10183299 |s2cid=25765373 }}</ref> In many respects, the WCTU's [[progressive education]] agenda set the template for much of what has been done since in the name of drug education.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Tupper |first1=Kenneth W. |title=Sex, drugs and the honour roll: the perennial challenges of addressing moral purity issues in schools |journal=Critical Public Health |date=3 April 2014 |volume=24 |issue=2 |pages=115–131 |doi=10.1080/09581596.2013.862517 |s2cid=143931197 }}</ref> Abstinence-based education programs aim to inform adolescents of [[Recreational drug use|illicit drug use]] in an effort to prevent illegal drug use while highlighting the dangers of [[substance abuse|problematic substance use]] and strongly emphasizing [[abstinence]].<ref name=":0">{{cite journal |last1=Midford |first1=Richard |title=Is Australia 'fair dinkum' about drug education in schools?* |journal=Drug and Alcohol Review |date=2007 |volume=26 |issue=4 |pages=421–427 |doi=10.1080/09595230701373842 |pmid=17564879 }}</ref> Many studies have found that school-based abstinence education programs such as [[Drug Abuse Resistance Education|D.A.R.E.]] did not lead to a reduction in substance use, and one study discovered that suburban students who went through the D.A.R.E. program were actually significantly more likely to engage in drug use.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Rosenbaum |first1=Dennis P. |last2=Hanson |first2=Gordon S. |date=November 1998 |title=Assessing the Effects of School-Based Drug Education: A Six-Year Multilevel Analysis of Project D.A.R.E. |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022427898035004002 |journal=Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency |language=en |volume=35 |issue=4 |pages=381–412 |doi=10.1177/0022427898035004002 |issn=0022-4278}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last1=Clayton |first1=R. R. |last2=Cattarello |first2=A. M. |last3=Johnstone |first3=B. M. |date=1996 |title=The effectiveness of Drug Abuse Resistance Education (project DARE): 5-year follow-up results |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8781009/ |journal=Preventive Medicine |volume=25 |issue=3 |pages=307–318 |doi=10.1006/pmed.1996.0061 |issn=0091-7435 |pmid=8781009}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last1=West |first1=Steven L. |last2=O’Neal |first2=Keri K. |date=June 2004 |title=Project D.A.R.E. Outcome Effectiveness Revisited |journal=American Journal of Public Health |volume=94 |issue=6 |pages=1027–1029 |doi=10.2105/ajph.94.6.1027 |issn=0090-0036 |pmc=1448384 |pmid=15249310}}</ref> The [[Australian Government]] has implemented a range of drug education programs through the National Drug Education Strategy (NDES) by providing schools with effective drug education programs. The program aims to manage drug related issues and incidents within schools.<ref name=":1" /> The [[Australian Government Department of Health]]'s Positive Choices portal, released in response to a National Ice Taskforce report, facilitates access to interactive evidence-based drug education resources and prevention programs for school communities. It builds on existing drug education resources developed by researchers at the [[National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre]] such as the [https://ourfuturesinstitute.org.au/climate-schools-is-now-ourfutures-institute-2 Climate Schools] (now called [http://www.Ourfuturesinstitute.org.au OurFutures] ) programs that have been proven to reduce alcohol and drug related harms and increase student well-being.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Champion |first1=Katrina E |last2=Newton |first2=Nicola C |last3=Stapinski |first3=Lexine |last4=Slade |first4=Tim |last5=Barrett |first5=Emma L |last6=Teesson |first6=Maree |title=A cross-validation trial of an Internet-based prevention program for alcohol and cannabis: Preliminary results from a cluster randomised controlled trial |journal=Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry |date=January 2016 |volume=50 |issue=1 |pages=64–73 |doi=10.1177/0004867415577435 |pmid=25801662 |s2cid=23887364 |hdl=1959.4/unsworks_43591 |url=https://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/bitstreams/265686f2-dafc-448f-aac3-31b7f74d5306/download |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Newton |first1=Nicola C. |last2=Teesson |first2=Maree |last3=Vogl |first3=Laura E. |last4=Andrews |first4=Gavin |title=Internet-based prevention for alcohol and cannabis use: final results of the Climate Schools course: Internet-based drug prevention |journal=Addiction |date=10 March 2010 |volume=105 |issue=4 |pages=749–759 |doi=10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02853.x |pmid=20148791 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Newton |first1=Nicola C. |last2=Andrews |first2=Gavin |last3=Teesson |first3=Maree |last4=Vogl |first4=Laura E. |title=Delivering prevention for alcohol and cannabis using the internet: A cluster randomised controlled trial |journal=Preventive Medicine |date=June 2009 |volume=48 |issue=6 |pages=579–584 |doi=10.1016/j.ypmed.2009.04.009 |pmid=19389420 }}</ref><ref>Grass roots a key to tackling ice https://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/health-mediarel-yr2015-nash053.htm</ref><ref>Prime Minister of Australia, JOINT DOORSTOP INTERVIEW, SYDNEY https://www.pm.gov.au/media/2015-12-06/joint-doorstop-interview-sydney</ref> In addition to government-funded programs, a number of not-for-profit organisations such as [[Life Education Australia]] provide drug education programs to adolescents. These preventative programs aim to deliver a progressive approach that will motivate and encourage young people to make positive decisions in life. Emphasis within these programs is also placed in focusing on deterring [[peer pressure]] as a means of empowering adolescents and promoting autonomy. This approach reaches 750,000 primary and secondary students in Australia each year.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Joyce|first=R|author2=O’Connor, L.|title=Life Education: Research and Evaluation.|journal=Life Education|year=2008}}{{verify source|date=February 2021}}</ref> The prevalence of abstinence-based programs declined throughout the early 21st-century following an uptick in substance use and the rise of the [[opioid epidemic]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Gaines, Lee V.; Cohen, Nicole |date=December 19, 2023 |title='Just say no' didn't actually protect students from drugs. Here's what could |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/11/09/1211217460/fentanyl-drug-education-dare |access-date=March 18, 2024 |website=NPR}}</ref> School-based drug education programs have declined alongside it. In a 2021 survey, only 60% of American 12-17 year-olds reported seeing drug and alcohol preventing messaging in school.<ref name=":5" /> === D.A.R.E. === {{main|Drug Abuse Resistance Education}} D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is a program in the United States implemented in 5th grade school classrooms to educate students on the effects of drugs and temptations they may encounter, particularly in later education. The police officers who administer the program can also serve as community models for students.<ref name="Dukes 483–500">{{Cite journal|last1=Dukes|first1=Richard L.|last2=Stein|first2=Judith A.|last3=Ullman|first3=Jodie A.|date=August 1997|title=Long-Term Impact of Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE)|journal=Evaluation Review|volume=21|issue=4|pages=483–500|doi=10.1177/0193841X9702100404|pmid=10183294|s2cid=27699072}}</ref> There is no scientific evidence that preventive drug education such as D.A.R.E. is effective, and some evidence that it may actually increase substance use rates in suburban teenagers.<ref name=":2" /><ref name="jb63">Benze, James G. (2005), p. 63</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/HSYouthtrends.html|title=NIDA InfoFacts: High School and Youth Trends|publisher=National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH|access-date=2007-04-04}}</ref><ref name="pbsdrugs">{{cite news|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/interviews/kleber.html|title=Interview: Dr. Herbert Kleber|access-date=2007-06-12|publisher=PBS|quote=The politics of the Reagan years and the Bush years probably made it somewhat harder to get treatment expanded, but at the same time, it may have decreased initiation and use. For example, marijuana went from thirty-three percent of high-school seniors in 1980 to twelve percent in 1991.}}</ref><ref name="SciAm14">{{cite news |last1=Lilienfeld |first1=Scott O. |last2=Arkowitz |first2=Hal |title=Why 'Just Say No' Doesn't Work |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-just-say-no-doesnt-work/ |work=Scientific American |date=1 January 2014 }}</ref> == Harm reduction-based education == [[Harm reduction|Harm reduction education]] emerged as an alternative to abstinence-based education in the late 20th-century and early 21st-century. Rather than encouraging complete abstinence and aiming to completely eradicate drug use in society, harm reduction education accepts that drug use is inevitable in modern society. It aims to reduce the harms associated with drug use by providing individuals with comprehensive information about the nature of substance use. Harm reduction education aims to improve health, social, and economic measurements rather than aiming primarily to reduce the rate of drug consumption.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=January 2008 |title=Harm reduction: An approach to reducing risky health behaviours in adolescents |journal=Paediatrics & Child Health |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=53–56 |doi=10.1093/pch/13.1.53 |issn=1205-7088 |pmc=2528824 |pmid=19119355}}</ref> In the late 1990s and early 2000s, websites dedicated to harm reduction education such as the educational database [[Erowid]] and the harm reduction forum [[Bluelight (web forum)|Bluelight]] emerged. Erowid hosts information about hundreds of [[Psychoactive drug|psychoactive plants and substances]], while Bluelight is an [[Internet forum|online forum]] on which users discuss harm reduction and drug use. Both sites collectively host about 100,000 experience reports.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Murguia-1; Tackett-Gibson-2; Lessem-3 |first=Edward-1; Melissa-2; Ann-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9M2qN8Oi4AcC&q=real+drugs+virtual+world |title=Real Drugs in a Virtual World: Drug Discourse and Community Online |publisher=<nowiki>[[LexingtonBooks]</nowiki> |year=2007 |isbn=9780739114551 |access-date=June 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230712225714/https://books.google.com/books?id=9M2qN8Oi4AcC&q=real+drugs+virtual+world |archive-date=July 12, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chiauzzi |first1=Emil |last2=Dasmahapatra |first2=Pronabesh |last3=Lobo |first3=Kimberly |last4=Barratt |first4=Monica J. |date=June 2013 |title=Participatory research with an online drug forum: a survey of user characteristics, information sharing, and harm reduction views |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23750771/ |journal=Substance Use & Misuse |volume=48 |issue=8 |pages=661–670 |doi=10.3109/10826084.2013.800117 |issn=1532-2491 |pmid=23750771|hdl=1959.4/unsworks_73353 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> By the early 2020s, many organizations such as the US government's [[Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration|SAMHSA]] had shifted from abstinence-based education to harm reduction-based education.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 24, 2023 |title=Harm Reduction |url=https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/harm-reduction |access-date=March 18, 2024 |website=SAMHSA}}</ref> ==Effectiveness== A systematic review of abstinence-based school drug education published in 2003 found mixed results on its effectiveness.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=McBride |first=N. |date=2003-12-01 |title=A systematic review of school drug education |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyf050 |journal=Health Education Research |volume=18 |issue=6 |pages=729–742 |doi=10.1093/her/cyf050 |pmid=14654505 |issn=1465-3648}}</ref> Many studies conducted in the early 2000s found that school-based abstinence education programs such as [[Drug Abuse Resistance Education|D.A.R.E.]] did not lead to a reduction in substance use, and one study concluded that suburban students who went through the D.A.R.E. program were actually significantly more likely to engage in drug use.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> A 2012 study published in the ''journal of Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy came'' to the conclusion that students aged 13 to 15 who completed a drug and alcohol prevention program were less likely to develop a drug or alcohol problem.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Midford|first=Richard|s2cid=71469639|display-authors=etal|date=April 2012|title=Alcohol Prevention: What Can Be Expected of a Harm Reduction? Focused School Drug Education Program?|journal=Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy|volume=19|issue=2|pages=102–110|doi=10.3109/09687637.2011.639412}}</ref> ==Drug education campaigns and programs== Drug education can also occur through public campaigns rather than education programs. Examples include [[advertising]] campaigns focused on raising awareness such as the UK Government's [[FRANK (drugs)|FRANK]] campaign or the US "media campaign".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Media campaign |url=http://www.mediacampaign.org/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20020809085438/http://www.mediacampaign.org/ |archive-date=2002-08-09 |access-date=2008-03-19}}</ref> In efforts to prevent [[substance abuse]], drug education may counter-productively perpetuate myths and stereotypes about psychoactive substances and people who use them.<ref name="Tupper">{{cite journal |last=Tupper |first=Kenneth |year=2008 |title=Drugs, discourses and education: A critical discourse analysis of a high school drug education text |journal=Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education |volume=29 |issue=2 |pages=223–238 |doi=10.1080/01596300801966864 |s2cid=143364728}}</ref> Indirect drug education programs such as the UK government's Positive Futures Program may utilize activities such as [[sport]]s and the [[arts]] to indirectly steer young people away from drug use. These programs aim to engage young people by relating to them and putting them in contact with positive role models (coaches/trained youth workers). After building a trusting relationship with a young person, these role models can gradually change attitudes towards drug use and steer the young person back into education, [[training]] and [[employment]]. This approach reaches young people who have dropped out of mainstream education. It also benefits local communities by reducing [[crime]] and [[anti-social behaviour]].<ref>[http://www.drugs.gov.uk/publication-search/young-people/0607_YPSMPG11 Positive Futures Programme]</ref> == Future improvements == Past research into drug education has indicated that effective drug education must involve engaging, interactive learning strategies that stimulate higher-order thinking, promote learning and be transferable to real life circumstances.<ref name="Cahil2">{{cite journal |last1=Cahill |first1=Helen W. |date=November 2007 |title=Challenges in adopting evidence-based school drug education programmes |journal=Drug and Alcohol Review |volume=26 |issue=6 |pages=673–679 |doi=10.1080/09595230701613593 |pmid=17943528}}</ref> Studies on school-based programs indicated that professional training and support may be required to increase the effectiveness of teaching staff and the uniform implementation of drug curriculum.<ref name="Cahil2"/> A study in 2017 on youth-targeted harm reduction education found that effective harm reduction programming must utilize relatable and meaningful approaches and be connected to youth's lived experience.<ref>{{Citation |title=Helping academic staff to integrate professional skills |date=2013-10-11 |work=Integrating Key Skills in Higher Education |pages=183–192 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315042350-24 |access-date=2024-03-18 |publisher=Routledge |doi=10.4324/9781315042350-24 |isbn=978-1-315-04235-0}}</ref> ==See also== * [[Alcohol education]] * [[Harm reduction]] * [[Responsible drug use]] ==References== {{reflist|32em}} ==External links== {{wikibooks|Teaching Elementary School Health Education/Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs}} *[http://www.drugs.gov.uk/young-people/blueprint Blueprint] *[http://www.drugeducationforum.com Drug Education Forum] *[http://www.drugs.gov.uk/publication-search/young-people/0607_YPSMPG11 Positive Futures Programme] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070604072954/http://talktofrank.com/home_html.aspx Talk to Frank] *[http://www.positivechoices.org.au Positive Choices Drug Education portal] *[https://www.climateschools.com.au/ Climate Schools Australia - is now OurFutures Institute] *[https://www.ourfuturesinstitute.org.au/ OurFutures Institutute] [[Category:Education by subject]] [[Category:Psychoactive drugs]]'