Educating College Students About Drug And Alcohol Abuse

At a young age, children should be educated about drug or alcohol abuse to help them become healthy and responsible individuals of the future. There are many available lesson plans for substance abuse but if teachers want to make their own, they must not miss a discussion on how students can handle peer pressure that influences them to use alcohol or drugs.

While parents can educate their children about substance abuse, teachers serve as authorities who may have a strong influence as to how kids learn a specific lesson in a day. Drug and alcohol education should be introduced to classes at the earliest part of a student’s life so that he will be aware of the consequences of such addictions.

Drug and alcohol education

Teachers should teach students on various kinds of alcohol and drugs. They should have a discussion on the effects of these substances on the body and make some corrections on possible misconceptions in the class. For example, some students may have the belief that alcohol and drug use is popular only in cities where a lot of criminals dwell. This education should also include giving awareness to students on the availability of drug and alcohol treatment centers.

Negative effects of substances on health

Student can clearly understand the negative effects of alcohol and drugs on health when teachers apply specific information. Every word in the teaching process will matter to the students’ learning so teachers should be careful about their use of words. Say, it may not be right to tell students that alcohol abuse will always lead to liver cancer. This discussion may also include statistics among people who are experiencing certain disorders as a result of alcohol or drug abuse and are undergoing treatment in a drug abuse rehab facility.

Legal consequences

Teachers must emphasize that the abuse of drugs and alcohol may have abusers face legal issues. They must also point out that once they’re addicted to substances, they can be mostly sensitive to effects which come with drug abuse.

Teaching values and skills

Students should be taught how to acquire skills that will help them avoid peer pressure. Teachers can use methods such as role-playing, journaling, performing, and breathing exercise.

Educating students shouldn’t be limited to teaching them addiction concepts. It must include allowing the learners to determine the consequences and effects of drug abuse to their life and the life of their family and friends.