What works in drug education?
Drug education in schools and classes can work but it is important to understand that "Drug Ed" needs to be delivered in a particular way in order to be effective....
Read MoreWhy drug education and information isn’t always enough
Drug information alone will not prevent substance use. Environmental factors place some students at far more risk of developing problems than others. ...
Read MoreWhen to refer to a specialist Youth AOD service
Having extra knowledge and resources within a school is great. However, there will be cases where a young person may need professional support which is beyond the resources and/or capability of the school. ...
Read MoreDeveloping a partnership with a local Youth AOD service
Victoria has a statewide Youth Alcohol and Other Drug service system, which means that there is likely to be a service that works in the area of your school. ...
Read MoreWho is at risk of developing problems?
Some young people are more at risk of developing a problem with substances than others. Knowing who these young people are, helps teachers intervene earlier to prevent problems developing. ...
Read MoreWhat is a whole of school approach?
School well-being coordinators and individual teachers do an excellent job. But without consistency the effectiveness of individuals is lessened. ...
Read MoreUnderstanding change
It is challenging to work with a young person who is experiencing harm from their drug use but does not want to make the changes that seem necessary. It is not possible to force a young person to be where you would like them to be....
Read MoreIdentifying a problem at school
Many school students will be experimenting with alcohol and other drugs during adolescence. The older the student, the more prevalent experimentation is likely to be. ...
Read MoreWhat a support service will ask and why
Making a supported referral for a young person is a common task for a well-being coordinator. It is a great advantage to know what a Youth Drug and Alcohol service will ask you when you seek support for a young person....
Read MoreWhy Scare Tactics Don’t Work
Many of us have grown up with a form of drug education that exaggerates the dangers of substance use, highlighting a worst case scenario in the hope of scaring young people off trying substances. ...
Read MoreThe roles of schools in helping YP with drug issues
As a teacher you can struggle to know how to help when a student is experiencing drug problems. It is likely you will want to help an individual as much as you can but you also have to think of the needs and rights of many students....
Read MoreShould a Youth AOD Worker talk to my class?
This is one of the most frequent requests from teachers to the YoDAA advice line. Unfortunately it is unlikely a one off ‘drug session’ for school students will impact on the prevalence of problematic drug use. ...
Read MoreIdentifying different patterns of drug use
For many school students, exploration of alcohol and other drugs is a normal part of development and will not lead on to problematic use that requires specialist attention....
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