 | Not Cool in School: New evidence-based drug education initiative for schools |
 Counter-productive "Just say no" abstinence-based drug education programmes such as DARE could be replaced by realistic harm-minimisation education after the launch of a new resource kit for New Zealand schools.
All schools with Year Seven to Year Thirteen pupils have been posted a handbook and practical guide called Strengthening Drug Education in School Communities.
This follows on from an extensive literature survey carried out by the Ministry of Youth Development which discovered that abstinence-based drug education is not effective and, in many cases, actually increases drug use.
The booklets provide a guide to best practice for drug education in schools. They include a checklist for schools for assessing the quality of external providers (such as DARE).
 26/10/04 Govt PR: Schools to receive handbook on drug education
 26/10/04 Green Party hails new resource for school drug education
27/10/04 United PR: Turner: Drug ed handbook shows Green influence waning
About the Strengthening Drug Education in School Communities booklets
The booklets provide a clear message to schools that for drug education programmes to be effective, it is essential that they are consistent with the 16 core best practice principles identified.
For example, best practice drug education:
- is evidence based
- aims to prevent and reduce drug related harm
- has clear, realistic objectives
- is relevant to the needs of young people
- is associated with family based training
- is coordinated with other community initiatives.
The Strengthening Drug Education in School Communities handbook and practical guide are the result of an extensive consultation with schools, drug education providers and interested people. In response to the consultation findings, a shorter version, the practical guide, has also been developed as a quick reference tool for schools.
Both booklets provide a guide to best practice for the design, delivery, evaluation and purchase of drug education in schools. They include a checklist for schools for assessing the quality of external providers or programmes.
On the Ministry of Youth Development website:
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