SAMPLE SESSIONS

Aim:
To increase the children’s awareness of drugs and medicines and learn how to recognise and manage peer pressure.

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the lesson, the children will:

• Discuss and define what a drug is
• Increase basic knowledge on common substances and their risks
• Discuss and define peer pressure
• Practice some peer resistance strategies

Plan:

• Introduction
• What is a drug?
• Groupwork – each group is given a set of (empty) common substances (e.g., vape, medicine, nitrous oxide cannister). Ask them which are good for you and which are not good for you?
• Feedback and discussion

Group discussion: What is peer pressure?
Practice peer resistance:

1. Peer resistance game
2. Sweet game
3. Role play – At a friend’s house and they offer you something but you don’t know what it is – act using the ‘Ways to resist Peer Pressure’ handout.

Conclusion

Aim:
To enable learners to be more aware of how they make decisions.

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the session, learners will:

• Have considered what influences their decision making
• Have discussed some of their own personal values
• Have considered the value in drawing together information in order to help make a decision
• Have practiced making decisions

Plan:

• Introduction
• Icebreaker
• Decision Making (Cost Benefit) – To consider how our own ambitions and motivations affect our decision making.
• Decisions – External Influences – To look at external factors that may affect our decision making.
• Decisions – Internal Influences – To look at the importance of being as informed as possible before making an important decision.
• Social Media – who can I trust?
• Choices Game
• Conclusion

Aim:
To enable participants to have a very basic knowledge of both recreational and street drugs, and to consider protective factors for the family.

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the session, learners will:

• Know what a drug is
• Have considered some basic effects of drugs
• Have seen what various street drugs look like and the paraphernalia used
• Have looked at the Law concerning drugs and parents
• Have looked at why people use drugs
• Have looked at protective factors that could be put in place.

Plan:

• Introduction
• Drug Boxes – To consider the definition of a drug.
• Drug Samples – To find out what different drugs look like.
• Paraphernalia – To see what might be used to take a drug, and what to look out for.
• Drug Categories – To consider how drugs affect the user (in general).
• Law Game – To learn about classifications.
• Drug law and parents quiz – To learn what, if any, responsibility a parent may have legally if their child is using a drug.
• Why people take drugs – To consider the reasons people might use drugs and what, if anything, we might do to positively address these reasons. (e.g. building confidence).
• Parenting Points – Looking at helpful ways to help children with the issue of drugs.
• Conclusion