How the Narconon Dug Education Talks meet the Australian Government guidelines.
The following excerpts are taken from the Australian Government Document entitled:
Principles for school drug education
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Evidence based practice
A school's drug education programs, policies and practices need to be underpinned by evidence-based practice. Schools draw on current theory and research to plan and implement their drug education and to determine through evaluation if it has been effective.
Our Talks meet these criteria as can be shown by the surveys filled in by the students at the end of every talk.
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Comprehensive and evidence-based Practice
The Australian National Council on Drugs report Structural Determinants of Youth Drug Use (Spooner, Hall and Lysnkey 2001) distils research on the multiple and broad factors that influence drug use in young people. They note that problematic drug use is part of a range of problem behaviours that should not be seen in isolation, and recommend that drug prevention programs adopt a broad view....
Our talks meet a measure of these criteria in as much as we talk about the wider influence of drug taking and the changes it causes in a person’s emotional state and behaviour.
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Positive School relationships
Glover et al. (1998 p 12) note that a safe and secure school environment includes feeling safe from physical as well as emotional harm. Although less obvious, being able to express a point of view without ridicule and to be included in class activities, is an important part of a secure and positive school climate.
Our talks support this activity by instilling in the student a confident knowledge of the subject so that they can hold their position against false information and pressure from peers.
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Understanding the needs of at-risk students
– Some responses to drug use can marginalise and stigmatise students. Punitive-based school policies and responses to drug use are not productive and can lead to negative consequences.
Our talks never at any point decry or marginalise drug use.
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Some key considerations
The critical importance of the timing of interventions
The effects of drug education tend to be evident immediately following delivery, but then diminish. It is recommended that programs include follow-up and are complemented by additional health promotion messages.
In a meta-analysis conducted by Tobler et al. (2000) it was found that higher intensity interactive programs were significantly more effective than lower intensity programs. Cuijpers (2002) confirmed that interactive delivery methods are a critical component and found that intensity and booster sessions in and of themselves, are not critical to effectiveness. The evidence base suggests that schools need to implement sequential, progressive and continuing programs that meet students’ developmental and contextual needs and address the potential for the decay of program effects.
We recognise this point and work with the school to develop a programme of ongoing talks to ensure that the information does not fade from the students minds.
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The importance of supporting and developing teachers in the delivery of drug education
Teachers require skills and support at both professional and systemic levels to ensure programs can be fully implemented. Teachers can face a range of challenges, including competing curriculum demands and tight resources.
Programs are most successful when teachers receive adequate resourcing, training and support.....
We understand this dilemma and have special talks designed just for teachers so that they can fulfil this requirement.
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The importance of using interactive strategies
In a meta-analysis of 120 school-based drug education programs, Tobler and Stratton (1997) found that the most important factor was the use of an interactive process in which students were engaged in discussions, role-plays and games. In the study, non-interactive programs were those that relied on lecturing, video viewing and completion of worksheets. Interactive programs were just as important in any program whatever the type of substance (ie they were equally successful with tobacco, alcohol and cannabis, and extremely successful with illicits other than cannabis).
Interactive methods provide the opportunity for students to examine their personal beliefs and foster critical reflection of their values, attitudes and behaviours
Our presentations are very interactive and involve the students throughout the talk. The talk starts with a special drill that wakes the students up and they are kept engaged throughout with the presenter with questions, examples and role playing.
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The need for credible and relevant information
Programs that provide biased or inaccurate information and use ‘scare tactics‘ as a deterrent are bound to fail. Focusing on fear may glamorise or enhance the status of risky drug use behaviours.
– Accurate, relevant and credible information is an important component of an effective drug education program. Providing knowledge is not sufficient in itself. Delivery of information in a drug education program needs to be part of a skills development approach.
– Both the explicit and implicit messages delivered in a program need to be viewed by students as realistic and credible.
Kids can spot a phony a mile away and because our presenters have had personal experience with drug users they talk from a position of absolute reality on the subject which the students can see and feel. They are not ivory tower theorists. This point has a huge influence on the students. It immediately positions the presenter as an authority in their minds and they really take notice of what the presenter is saying.
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The value of normative information in drug education
Drug education programs should include the debunking of myths associated with drug use, including common assumptions that use or risky use is the norm.
This point is fully covered in our booklet:
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The role of utility information in drug education
Utility knowledge should be included within a drug education program. Students need information that is relevant and applicable to their life experiences and of immediate practical use to them.
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The need for credible and relevant information
Roberts et al. (2001) suggest that both the explicit and implicit messages within a program need to be viewed by young people as realistic and credible and delivered by credible messengers. They suggest that the most important principle for any program ‘is that the drug information provided is scientifically accurate, objective, non-biased and presented without value judgement’ (p 40). They advise that programs for adolescents acknowledge the reasons for people using drugs and the appeal of risk-taking, while offering reasonable alternatives.
Our presenters are well qualified to deliver the message as all have had personal contact with drug users and have seen the devastation caused by addiction. All the content of the talks is backed up by extensive and confirmed research so the students are presented with facts that can be easily verified.
The full Government document can be viewed here: Principles for School Drug Education
