Edventi’s science-based Substance Abuse Prevention Course is designed to immediately engage students and empower them to better understand current, trending drug use culture and the complexities of tobacco, marijuana and addiction. Within 3 to 4 teacher-guided class periods students participate in dialog, research and assessment to critically investigate the science of drug use and the risks to the developing brain, while analyzing environmental influences that downplay harms and promote drug use behavior.

This course uses a student-centered, skills-based approach.  Each learner explores values and attitudes that lead to risk-taking behavior, and attains skills and knowledge that protects and reinforces personal choice for a healthy lifestyle.

Course learning objectives include:

• Preventing, delaying and/or reducing tobacco and marijuana use, as well as other drug use. The course emphasizes brain chemistry and personal choice influencers of addiction while featuring the added risks for the developing youth brain.
• Identifying and understanding diverse forces that influence drug use and addiction; these include media, culture, peer, industry, genetics, and neuroscience factors.
• Understanding personal health consequences and the social impact of drug use.
• Developing media-literacy, self-advocacy, and refusal skills that promote healthy decisions and drug-free lifestyles. 

You will receive: 

• A Teacher Guide containing background, pacing instructions, lesson plans
• A DVD containing short videos and slideshows that engage students and compel class discussion
• Student handout and worksheet masters to assist in student research, project work and assessment 

Strategically built for full student engagement using a skills-based approach, this program offers strong versatility in incorporating evidence-based drug prevention lessons into an educational course that must include other health or science areas and/or curricula strands.