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Young People and Drugs:

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... is taught within the PDHPE curriculum K 10 and Crossroads 11 ... Drug prevention: Home, school and community partnerships. Consult parents and local community ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Young People and Drugs:


1
Young People and Drugs
  • a guide for school
  • staff to support
  • students

2
Purpose
To assist schools to
  • implement appropriate prevention and intervention
    strategies to support young people with drug use
    problems
  • identify when a young person may have a drug use
    problem
  • link young people and families to services and
    resources
  • access drug and alcohol information services.

3
What is drug misuse?
  • Drug misuse is any use of drugs that causes
    physical, psychological, economic, legal or
    social harm to the individual user or to others
    by the drug users behaviour.

4
Problems associated with adolescent drug misuse
  • Brain development in adolescence may be affected.
  • Delayed maturation during adolescence may impede
    important developmental tasks.
  • Drug use disorders are often associated with
    mental health disorders, suicide and a history of
    abuse.

5
Prevalence of drug use among young people 12 to
17 years
Table 3 Australian Secondary Students Alcohol
and Drugs (ASSAD) Survey 2005 Students aged 1217
years
6
IMPORTANT NOTE
  • Most young people who try alcohol and illicit
    drugs do not become problem drug users.

7
Reasons young people use drugs
  • To experiment
  • To have fun
  • To heighten sensations
  • To rebel
  • To relax
  • To relieve boredom
  • To fit in with peers
  • To cope with problems
  • Because they are available

8
Indicators of possible drug use problems
  • Changes in appearance and wellbeing
  • Mood swings or significant personality change
  • Loss of initiative
  • Decline in academic performance
  • Increased need for money and secrecy
  • Intoxication at school

9
Identifying possible drug use problems
Cautionary notes
  • Behavioural change may be due to causes other
    than drug use.
  • Drug use is not necessarily drug misuse.
  • Drug use may increase as a result of getting into
    trouble for initial drug use and being labelled a
    drug user.

10
Confidentiality
  • Issues of confidentiality can arise when
    teachers discuss possible drug use with students.

11
Limits of confidentiality
  • Teachers have a duty of care to protect young
    people against risks of harm.
  • Teachers should advise the principal of concerns
    about the welfare and safety of young people.
  • Confidentiality may be limited by the
    requirements to advise the principal of concerns.
  • Students should be advised of the limits to
    confidentiality from the outset.

12
Talking to young people about possible drug use
  • Consider who is the best person to approach the
    student.
  • Express concerns that can be supported by facts.
  • Encourage the student to talk.
  • Listen carefully and avoid moralising.
  • Dont use scare tactics.
  • Offer information or help.

13
Strategies to support students
  • Offer support and information
  • Refer to the school counsellor for assessment and
    support
  • Refer to outside agencies
  • Provide school-based support as appropriate
  • - Learning support team
  • - Support teacher/learning
  • - Support teacher/behaviour
  • - Home school liaison officer.

14
Useful contacts for schools
  • Drug education consultants
  • Student welfare consultants
  • Area School-Link coordinators
  • NSW area health drug and alcohol services
  • Telephone help lines
  • Websites
  • DET resources

15
What is the role of the school in prevention?
  • Providing a safe and supportive school
    environment where a students social, emotional
    and learning needs are met is most important in
    preventing drug use problems.

16
A framework for prevention of drug use problems
17
Drug prevention Safe, supportive and engaging
environment
  • Promote a sense of belonging at school
  • Provide support at transition points
  • Build positive social behaviours and problem
    solving skills
  • Promote pastoral care relationships

18
Drug prevention Quality learning and teaching
  • Provide a curriculum that engages and meets the
    needs of students
  • Ensure drug education is taught within the PDHPE
    curriculum K10 and Crossroads 1112
  • Teach drug education in a planned, sequential and
    developmentally appropriate manner

19
Drug prevention Home, school and community
partnerships
  • Consult parents and local community
  • Develop positive partnerships with local area
    health, police and other support services to
  • - link students and their families to supports
  • - ensure continuity of care for young people
  • - strengthen response to drug issues.

20
Referral to the school counsellor
  • The student has been suspended
  • Drug use is associated with high levels of risk
  • The student appears to be drug dependent
  • Drug use interferes with life at school and in
    the community
  • Drug use is associated with other problems
    behavioural, family or mental health

21
The Stages of Change model
22
Involving parents and caregivers
  • Be reassuring and dont over-dramatise
  • Help the parents explore options
  • Involve the student in decisions
  • Give information and or suggest referral
  • Allow the parents to express their concerns

23
Supporting students whose parents use drugs
  • Reframe perceptions of disloyalty
  • Encourage discussion
  • Advise young people to seek help from a trusted
    relative or family member
  • Promote a positive outlook
  • Report suspected abuse and neglect

24
Helping students to be non-smokers
  • Ensure students are aware of rules and
    consequences
  • Do not automatically suspend for possession of
    tobacco
  • Include tobacco education in PDHPE
  • Provide information about QUIT programs or form a
    QUIT group
  • Provide incentives to quit
  • Display anti-smoking stickers and posters
  • Use Smoke screen a smoking prevention resource
    (Stages 3 and 4)
  • Participate in The Critics' Choice
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