Drug Education: Programmes and Methodology - An Overview of Opportunities for Drug Prevention (EC - UNESCO, 1995, 41 p.): III. Methods and techniques of drug education: Drug Education utilizing group methods and techniques: Life skills model of drug education

Drug Education: Programmes and Methodology - An Overview of Opportunities for Drug Prevention (EC - UNESCO, 1995, 41 p.)

(introduction...)

Introduction

I. Drug Abuse Prevention Strategies

Supply reduction or demand reduction?

Dilemmas of drug prevention

II. The planning process of drug education

(introduction...)

Drug abuse assessment

Developing prevention goals and objectives

Identification of resources

Determining the content and selecting methods of the prevention programme

Implementation

Evaluation

Programmes, target groups and intermediaries

III. Methods and techniques of drug education

(introduction...)

Drug Education and Mass Media

Principles of Mass Media

Drug Education utilizing group methods and techniques

(introduction...)

Knowledge and drug information model

Affective education model

Social influence model

Life skills model of drug education

IV. Drug Prevention in some European Countries: A Review of Policies and Programmes

(introduction...)

United Kingdom

The Netherlands

Sweden

Germany

V. Effectiveness of Drug Education

(introduction...)

Evaluation of Mass Media Drug Education

Evaluation of Drug Education through Group Methods

VI. Conclusion and suggestions for Model Programmes of Drug Education

Life skills model of drug education

A most promising new approach is the life skills development model of prevention. Whilst, there is a conceptual similarity between the life skills model and the affective model, the former emphasizes balanced development of personal and social coping skills, which can be divided into five dimensions critically important for adolescent learning, thinking, feeling, decision making, communication and action. The model encompasses the improvement of positive peer influence, peer role models and peer teaching and includes teaching specific values, such as respect, compassion, responsibility, honesty and self-discipline. This programme attempts to link community groups and school groups (teachers, tutors, counselors, parents, board members), because of the belief that prevention and health education is the collective responsibility of the whole school and local community. The life skills approach is a challenging model, appropriate for both drug prevention and health promotion. The well-known "Skills for Adolescents" programme, originally developed in the USA '24), has now been culturally adapted and introduced in many countries, including inter alia, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, The Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden.

24) See Note. 11