Did you know…

… there are four levels of drug consumption?

• People trying drugs occasionally out of curiosity are at the experimental level;
• those who consume small quantities in social groups are at the recreational level;
• a person who takes drugs regularly and in high quantities in order to reduce different uncomfortable states are in the phase of drug abuse;
• addiction occurs when the consumer is constantly seeking the drug, where the substance has already reduced its effects on his body and he/she needs higher quantities.

… addiction is a brain disease?
Drugs alter the brain structure and its functioning and thus lead to self-destructive behaviour.

… overdose is the main cause of youth death in Europe?
Most deaths caused by overdoses (1666) were registered in the United Kingdom (2012).

… addiction is physical and psychological?
By interrupting drug consumption, addiction manifests through physical pain and/or the desire to consume in order to remove mental discomfort, despite being aware of the destructive effects of the drug on health and social life.

… every year, vast quantities of illegal drugs are seized in Europe.

You are a group of volunteers in a youth NGO and you are implementing a project regarding the impact of drug consumption on teenagers. Organize workshops and conferences in your high school and invite students to actively participate in your project. Put resources at their disposal and let them choose a subtopic of drug consumption in order to of develop a team project of their own, based on non formal methods. The aim of their project will be to raise awareness on drug consumption in their school/community.

 1) Read articles and watch videos on drugs – general facts, addiction, traffic:

• Easy-to-Read Drug Facts
• Substance use in pregnancy
• European Drug Report 2014: Trends and developments
• Mexico's Drug War - BBC Documentary

2) Contact your high school manager, schedule a meeting with them, present your project and ask an authorization for implementation. Agree on several classes of students for whom you should deliver presentations/workshops covering the topics of drug consumption (causes, effects), addiction, narcotraffic, drugs war. You can have a general workshop for more classes at once or you could conduct several separate small workshops for some of the classes.

3) Prepare and conduct the workshops for students:

• Use non formal methods of education (icebreakers, energizers, videos, discussions, group work). See Salto Youth Resource Centres for creative ideas.
• Use the videos/movies you watched and look for more on your own.
• Discuss with them the importance of spreading awareness in their community and encourage them to create mini projects of their own. Ask them to choose a non formal method (flash mob, forum theater, making a video etc.) and present it in their community.

4) Offer them assistance - participate to their preparation meetings, give them feedback, help them with ideas, put them in contact with people they want to interview etc.

5) Prepare and hold the conference

• Set the date, book the place (it could be the school amphitheater), promote it (via Facebook, leaflets etc.)
• Ask the students to present their projects to the guests.
• Invite one or several speakers (psychologists, doctors, NGO members, volunteers specialized in the issue of drugs).
• Take pictures, record the conference and make a video of the entire project.

Learning outcomes

• Pursue and organise your own learning.
• Follow objectives in order to reach a final result.
• Work individually and in a team.
• Organize and deliver non formal activities.
• Plan and coordinate projects with the purpose of achieving objectives.