Guidelines for Selecting Content for School Drug Education Curricula

Description of tool:
This tool discusses the role that school-based drug education programs may play in
preventing or reducing drug use and the adverse consequences of drug use to
individuals and society. It provides guidelines for selecting content and teaching
methods for school drug education programs, and suggests knowledge, attitude and
skill objectives for drug prevention education at the lower, middle and upper class
levels.

The information in this tool was adapted by UNESCO from the following publication:

United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (UNODC), 2003.
School-based Drug Education: A guide for practitioners and the wider
community. Vienna: UNODC.
http://www.unicef.org/lifeskills/files/School-basedDrugEducation03.doc
Description of document:
This manual aims to provide a conceptual basis upon which teachers, policy makers
and school administrators can make decisions about the design and delivery of
effective school-based drug prevention programmes. In addition to providing guidance
on the principles behind effective drug education and practical information about
planning, content, teaching methods and evaluation for school drug education
programmes, the manual includes sections on managing drug related incidents,
counselling and referral for students, and strategies for involving families and the
community in drug prevention efforts.

This information or activity supports Core

Component #3 of the FRESH framework
for effective school health: skills-based
health education. It will have a greater
impact if it is reinforced by activities in the
other three components of the framework.

FRESH Tools for Effective School Health First Edition

http://www.unesco.org/education/fresh
FRESH Tools for Effective School Health First Edition
http://www.unesco.org/education/fresh

Guidelines for Selecting Content for School Drug Education Curricula 1

Introduction: School-based drug education defined

Drug education in schools may be defined as the educational programs, policies, procedures
and other experiences that contribute to the achievement of broader health goals of
preventing drug use and the adverse consequences of drug use to individuals and society.
Drug education should be related to both the formal and informal curricula in health, the
creation of a safe and healthy school environment, the provision of appropriate health
services and the involvement of the family and the wider community in the planning and
delivery of programs.

Drug prevention efforts are commonly considered under three main headings:

Demand reduction strategies aim to reduce the desire and preparedness to obtain and
use drugs. These strategies, aimed at preventing, reducing and/or delaying the uptake
of harmful drug use, may include abstinence-oriented strategies.

Supply reduction strategies aim to disrupt the production and supply of illicit drugs as
well as limit the access and availability of licit drugs in certain contexts. In the school
setting, this includes measures taken to limit the use, possession and sale of illicit drugs
on school premises, and may also include measures taken to discourage tobacco use.

Strategies for the reduction of the adverse consequences of drug use aim to
reduce the impact of drug use and drug-related activities on individuals and
communities.

It is both possible and desirable for schools to undertake efforts in all three of these areas;
however, the major focus should be on demand reduction. Education authorities should not
accept sole responsibility for changing student health behaviours, including drug use
behaviour, as such behaviour may be determined by factors beyond the influence of the
school. This means that schools should not make change in drug use behaviour the only
measure of success or effectiveness of their drug prevention education programmes.

The primary role of the school is to impart knowledge, skills and a sound values base in
relation to health and drug use. Therefore, the content of school drug education curricula
should be selected to achieve specific educational outcomes that have been identified as
contributing to the achievement of the broader health goals of preventing drug use and
reducing adverse consequences to individuals and society.

Drug education in the classroom is thus defined as the set of lessons, programs, activities
and practices that lead to the achievement of the specific education outcomes agreed upon.
The school drug education program can be described as the collection of these educational
activities sequenced over the years of compulsory schooling.

CONTENT

Knowledge about drugs and drug use is important for informing decisions and shaping or
reinforcing values and attitudes about both personal and societal drug use. The nature of
the information, how it is presented, and when, can have a significant influence on its impact.

1
FRESH Tools for Effective School Health First Edition
http://www.unesco.org/education/fresh

Information introduced in the course of learning experiences that are relevant to the
students’ lives and experience and based on two-way communication that respects their
feelings and attitudes will contribute to the success of the program more than information
presented in isolation, out of context, or in a lecturing or “preaching” way.

The guidelines below are offered to help curriculum planners and teachers select
appropriate content and, perhaps more importantly, recognize that some information may be
useless, and some counterproductive. Appropriateness of content should be determined
with due consideration of the needs of the students, the agreed drug-related learning
outcomes and the Guiding Principles for School-based Drug Education.

Guidelines for selecting content

1. Information about drugs and drug use should be selected for and evaluated on its
capacity to contribute to drug-related learning outcomes that lead to reducing drug use
and adverse individual and social consequences of drug use.

In relation to achieving learning outcomes, selection and presentation of information

should be considered in terms of:
 what students already know and what they need to know about drugs;
 the values, attitudes and perceptions held by students;
 skills students already have mastered and skills that need developing;
 ensuring a balance of knowledge, values/attitudes and skill development; and
 opportunities to link knowledge, attitudes/values and skills.

2. Decisions about what drugs and drug use information to include in a program should be
based on knowledge of the drugs that cause most harm to individuals and/or society,
and the drugs that students are likely to encounter at some time in their lives.

In relation to drugs used, selection of information should be considered in terms of:

 the prevalence of drugs in the community indicated by:
 surveys at local and broader levels
 information from police, drug counsellors and/or health workers
 community consultation
 student input;
 the personal and social context of the use of particular drugs;
 the age when students start using particular substances;
 the level of use of particular drugs and the level of harm associated with such use
by particular age groups; and
 laws, policies and school rules pertaining to the use/misuse of different drugs.

3. Information about selected drugs should be presented only after consideration of both
the social context in which a particular drug is (or may be) used by your students and the
learning context (the way information will be presented) which is most appropriate.

2
FRESH Tools for Effective School Health First Edition
http://www.unesco.org/education/fresh

In relation to the social context (the way the drug is used), information should be
presented that:

 encourages students to reflect on what they have learned and how it can be
applied to their social situations and their lives generally;
 does not increase either use of or harm caused by the drugs being addressed;
 contributes to the development of an environment that is non-threatening and
non-judgmental of student ideas, opinions and discussions; and
 is respectful of student’s gender, ethnicity/culture, language, developmental level,
ability level, religion and sexual orientation/lifestyle.

With regard to the way information is presented, it is particularly important to choose

content and teaching methods that do not support, encourage or normalize drug use or
experimentation with dangerous substances. Examples of approaches that may be
counterproductive include:

 glamorising - presenting drug use/users as sophisticated (cool);

 strategies that exaggerate and misrepresent the dangers of drug use reduce the
achievement of drug-related learning outcomes – especially for students who
know, or believe, based on their experience, that the message may not reflect the
whole truth;
 sensationalising - using graphic images can portray drug use as dangerous and
exciting ;
 frightening case studies that are too far removed from the reality of young people;
 emotionally loaded videos and personal anecdotes;
 romanticizing - using slang or ‘street’ names (instead of the pharmacological
name) which highlight a drug’s supposed positive effects, while concealing the
potential harms associated with its use;
 informing students how to obtain, make or use potentially harmful substances,
including detailing the chemical composition of substances;
 using pictures and images of drug use or the drug user that are appealing or
attractive; and
 using ‘one-off’ or ‘stand-alone’ activities rather than those that contribute to an
ongoing, comprehensive, developmentally appropriate program.

Matching content to learning objectives

A first step in choosing content is definition of the specific learning objectives that will help
your particular group of students develop the knowledge, attitudes and values, and skills
they need to make and carry out safe and health-promoting decisions related to drug use.
Suggested learning objectives are provided below for students at the lower, intermediate and
upper school levels.

3
FRESH Tools for Effective School Health First Edition
http://www.unesco.org/education/fresh

CONTENT FOR THE LOWER SCHOOL

Students will know… KNOWLEDGE

 ways of enhancing their own and others’ confidence and self esteem
 how to share with, and care for, family and friends
 people who can help them when they have questions or concerns
 physical and emotional differences and be accepting of them
 what medicines are for, their safety rules and the danger of incorrect use
 ways that substances can get into the body
 alternatives to medicines
 possible effects of others’ smoking on their health

Students will articulate… ATTITUDES AND VALUES

 valuing one’s body and recognizing their individuality

 responsible attitudes towards medicines and health professionals
 positive attitudes towards the non-use of tobacco
 a responsible attitude towards the social use of alcohol (where laws allow it)
 critical responses to advertising presentations of medicines
 their feelings with confidence

Students will be able to… SKILLS

 demonstrate basic listening and communication skills when interacting with others
 express feelings constructively and show respect for the feelings of others
 work effectively in small groups
 recognize situations where choices can be made and identify the consequences of
their choices
 set simple goals to keep themselves safe and healthy
 follow simple safety instructions and know when and how to get help from adults and
others such as police or ambulance

4
FRESH Tools for Effective School Health First Edition
http://www.unesco.org/education/fresh

CONTENT FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Students will know… KNOWLEDGE

 school and society rules and laws relating to legal and illegal drugs
 safe use of products used to maintain health
 appropriate health services and how to access them
 how manufacturers, media and advertisers try to influence decisions about drugs
 consequences of smoking and of misuse of alcohol
 that drugs can alter the way a person behaves and feels
 the contribution of drug use to lifestyle diseases and associated social, emotional,
legal and economic costs
 that changing the type of drug, the person(s) involved, or the context and situation
can vary the risk of adverse consequences for individuals and groups

Students will articulate… ATTITUDES AND VALUES

 how values about drugs are shaped by teachers, family, friends, media and church
 an acceptance of responsibility for their actions and safety
 a positive self image
 respect for the right of others to have different attitudes and values
 realistic attitudes and accurate beliefs about drugs and people who use them

Students will be able to… SKILLS

 communicate effectively with a wide range of people

 identify problem or risk situations and make decisions based on firmly held values
 cope with peer influences, assert their ideas and their decisions
 use decision-making and assertiveness in drug use situations
 maintain friendships, give care and get help
 recognize and deal with a range of feelings and changes in relationships over time

5
FRESH Tools for Effective School Health First Edition
http://www.unesco.org/education/fresh

CONTENT FOR THE UPPER SCHOOL

Students will know… KNOWLEDGE

 the importance of self-esteem, positive self-concept and identity

 rights and responsibilities in relationships
 the concepts of abstinence and alternatives to drug use
 the definitions of drugs, drug misuse and abuse, drug dependence
 how different contexts and situations influence personal values, attitudes, beliefs and
behaviour in relation to drug use
 consequences of unlawful and unsanctioned drug use
 how drugs can affect a person’s ability to perform tasks
 the impact of media messages on the health behaviour of individuals and society

Students will articulate… ATTITUDES AND VALUES

 a values stance on drugs and confidence to act on those values

 the significance of social and cultural influences on beliefs about drugs
 empathy and acceptance of a diverse range of people
 individual responsibility for health and universal health protection
 personal beliefs about drugs and their effects on decisions to use

Students will be able to… SKILLS

 communicate constructively with parents, teachers and peers

 give and get care in a variety of health-related situations
 set short and long term health goals
 demonstrate conflict, aggression, stress and time management skills
 identify and assess personal risk and practise universal protection
 assert themselves and deal with influences from others
 work effectively with others and cope with change, loss and grief

6
1
Adapted from: United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, 2003. School-based Drug Education: A
guide for practitioners and the wider community. Vienna: UNODC.