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Schools

Alcohol and Drugs

Attitudes about drugs and alcohol are initially formed in the home and are later strongly influenced by teachers and peers. Students spend a large part of their day at school. Education paired with skill building can have a role in delaying onset of first use by providing students with credible information about drugs and alcohol and building skills to manage the many influences placed on young people.

Research demonstrates delayed onset of drug and alcohol use is vital to healthy brain development and good mental health. In addition, children and youth that use drugs or alcohol before age 14 are more likely to develop drug dependence issues at some point later in their lives, compared to those starting after 21 years. According to the literature, education on early drug and alcohol prevention ideally begins just prior to the average age of onset of use (shown to be between Grade 7 and 9).

Educating students on why they should delay the onset of substance use is imperative for the developing teen brain. The teen brain continues to be ‘rewired’ and as a result is more vulnerable to the negative effects of drugs and alcohol. Teenagers are more likely to act impulsively and on instinct when faced with stressful or emotional decisions sometimes resulting in risky behaviour. Teens may not fully appreciate the immediate consequences of their actions. Educators play a key role in healthy student development.

Problematic substance use refers to the harmful use of any substance, such as alcohol or cannabis, an illicit drug, an over-the-counter drug, or a prescribed drug. Youth identify that they use drugs and alcohol for the same reasons that adults do: to enhance their social experience, and to cope with stress and mental health issues.

For stats and details on Ontario Student Drug Use – Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS)

Whole School Approaches 

A healthy school includes activities that aim to prevent substance use. Consider the following activities as part of your health and well-being action plan:

Create a Substance Use Prevention Policy

  • Raise awareness with staff, students, and families about policies and/or codes of conduct related to substance use.

Raise Awareness:

  • Book a free in-class experience through Health Canada’s Know More Opioids Awareness Program, suitable for Grades 9 – 12.
  • Plan and participate in activities to raise awareness about substance use and addictions such as National Addictions Awareness Week (3rd Week of November).

Promote a Supportive School Environment

  • Take an asset-building approach to promote thriving behaviours and reduce risk-taking behaviours (such as substance use) among students, using the Developmental Assets ® and Developmental Relationships ® frameworks.

Enlist the Support of Community Partners:

  • Enlist the support of your Public Health Nurse and other community partners (such as police, community mental health agencies, etc.) in planning and implementing Healthy Schools initiatives.

For more ideas, refer to:

Educator and Classroom Resources

  • Ophea H&PE Curriculum Lesson Plans – Grades 1 - 8. Includes lesson plans, supplements and activities designed to reflect the requirements of the Ontario Health and Physical Education curriculum. 
  • Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) – Grades 1 - 8.  CAMH provides information and a variety of resources and teaching strategies related to substance use. (CAMH).
  • iMinds - A Health Literacy Resource – Grades 4 - 12. This free health education resource aims to help students maximize their drug literacy, by building knowledge and skills needed to survive and thrive in a world where drug use is common. 
  • The Art of Motivation – Grades 7 - 8. This is a tool that teachers can use to communicate with students about challenging issues, and their use of alcohol and drugs (Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia).
  • Ontario Ministry of Education – Legalization of Recreational Cannabis: Educator webpages.
  • Opioid Overdose – Grades 7 - 8.  Info Sheet - Prescription opioids, including fentanyl: What educators need to know. 
  • Ophea: H&PE Secondary Resources – Grades 9 - 12. Available to support secondary educators with implementation of the Health and Physical Education curriculum. 
  • Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) – Grades 9 – 12. CAMH provides information and a variety of resources and teaching strategies related to substance use.
  • iMinds - A Health Literacy Resource – Grades 4 - 12. This free health education resource aims to help students maximize their drug literacy, by building knowledge and skills needed to survive and thrive in a world where drug use is common. 
  • The Art of Motivation – Grades 9 – 12. A tool that teachers can use to communicate with students about challenging issues,  and their use of alcohol and drugs. (Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia).
  • Sensible Cannabis Education: A Toolkit for Educating Youth – Grades 7 - 12. This toolkit from the Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy, directed at educators, parents and other youth allies, provides guiding principles and a curriculum for youth cannabis education.
  • Talking Pot with Youth: A Cannabis Communication Guide for Youth Allies – Grades 9 – 12. This guide from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction was co-designed with input from youth, this resource supports youth allies to prepare for judgment-free conversation about cannabis with youth.
  • Opioid Overdose Fact Sheet – Grades 9 – 12.
  • Info Sheet - Prescription opioids, including fentanyl: What educators need to know
  • Canadian Public Health Association pot and driving campaign – This campaign is designed to raise awareness of the risks associated with cannabis-impaired driving. The resources include:
  • A discussion guide for use by adults with adolescents
  • 10 questions for teenagers
  • Frequently asked questions
  • Downloadable poster

For Students, Parents and Families

There are many ways for students to engage in substance use prevention, such as:

  • Establish a student-led committee to plan and organize school-wide initiatives.
  • Help students build skills to recognize alcohol/substance-related influences and develop healthy decision-making and refusal skills (e.g. role play various scenarios).
  • Create opportunities for developing school connectedness by implementing programs similar to the ‘Come As You Are’ program based in Thunder Bay, ON.
  • Facilitate student learning about local community supports and services and involve students in planning creative approaches for sharing this information with the broader school community.
  • Start a student support group to raise awareness about the risks of impaired driving, such as Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving (OSAID) or Students Against Destructive Driving (SADD).
  • Encourage and organize activities that promote healthy living, including student leadership programs, intramurals, and clubs that appeal to a variety of interests.

Resources to share with students include:

There are many ways for parents, caregivers, and families to engage in substance use prevention. Consider offering a parent education night to teach strategies for supporting youth with healthy decision making.

Resources to share with parents/families include:

  • Cannabis: What Parents/Guardians and Caregivers Need to Know (English / French) - Includes facts on cannabis, harms of use, recognizing signs of problematic cannabis use, how to support your children, and sources of additional information.
  • Alcohol and other drugs - Talk to your kids

Choose from the sample newsletter inserts below to share key messages with parents/families of elementary school students:

Medicine Cabinet out of Reach?

Young children are naturally curious. Follow these tips to teach them safety rules about medicines, and other products around the house that could be poisonous if swallowed:

  • Keep medications and other household products including alcohol, pain killers and cannabis in their original containers.
  • Keep them locked and out of reach from your children.
  • Teach your child about the dangers of taking medication not prescribed for them, or without the help of an adult.
  • Never refer to medication as candy!
  • Finally, remember to clean out and get rid of any expired or unused medicine regularly and take them to your local pharmacy for free, safe disposal.

If you think your child has taken medication or swallowed something harmful, contact the Ontario Poison Center right away by calling 1-800-268-9017.

Substance Use

It is never too early to start talking about alcohol, cannabis, edibles, opioids and other drugs. Using substances at a younger age regularly and often can harm the developing brain and can lead to social, mental, and physical health changes. Brains are still developing until 25 years of age!

Talking with your child about alcohol, cannabis and edibles in open and non-judgmental ways, helps them be prepared to make informed decisions about, if, or how, they will use substances.

Need resources to help the conversation? Being aware of the Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines (LRCUG) and The Blunt Truth can help your child make safer choices about vaping or using cannabis. Are you ready for these conversations? Learn how to talk about cannabis with the Cannabis Talk Kit and Drug Free Kids Canada. For more information: http://www.simcoemuskokahealth.org/Topics/Drugs/parentinganddrugs

Choose from the sample newsletter inserts below to share key messages with parents/families of secondary school students:

Substance Use

It is never too early to start talking about alcohol, cannabis, edibles, opioids and other drugs. Using substances at a younger age regularly and often can harm the developing brain and can lead to social, mental, and physical health changes. Brains are still developing until 25 years of age!
Talking with your child about alcohol, cannabis and edibles in open and non-judgmental ways, helps them be prepared to make informed decisions about, if, or how, they will use substances.

Need resources to help the conversation? Being aware of the Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines (LRCUG) and The Blunt Truth can help your teen make safer choices about vaping or using cannabis. Are you ready for these conversations? Learn how to talk about cannabis with the Cannabis Talk Kit and Drug Free Kids Canada.

For more information: http://www.simcoemuskokahealth.org/Topics/Drugs/parentinganddrugs

Misusing pain medication is very dangerous.

Pain medication (opioids) can be misused in two ways:

  1. If used in ways other than intended by a physician.
  2. If used by someone it was not prescribed for.

    Use of prescription opioid pain medication (such as Percocet, Percodan, Tylenol #3, Demerol, Dilaudid, OxyNeo, Codeine and Fentanyl) for non-medical reasons has significantly increased in recent years. Early prevention is key!

What can you do?

  • Keep your medications locked up and out of sight.
  • Clean out your medicine cabinet regularly and take left over or expired medication to the pharmacy for safe, free disposal.

For more information, visit the health unit’s website at www.simcoemuskokahealth.org or call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520.

You Have Influence

Did you know that teenagers rank their parents/caregivers as having the most influence over what risks they choose to take? And that teens who believe their parents/caregivers strongly disapprove of drug and alcohol use are less likely than their peers to use them! So…

  • Spend time with your kids and talk openly about alcohol and other drugs
  • Set clear and consistent messages
  • Know that you are their role-model.

For useful tips and other helpful information on how you can best communicate with your teen and how you can help your teen manage the risks, visit:
https://www.drugfreekidscanada.org/
https://www.drugfreekidscanada.org/talk/the-importance-of-communication/age-appropriate-conversations/
Talk with your kids (simcoemuskokahealth.org)

Cannabis Impairs Your Abilities

Driving while impaired by Cannabis may double the risk of being involved in a crash. This risk for serious collisions increases even more when cannabis is mixed with alcohol. Cannabis impairs a person's thinking, coordination, ability to judge distance and their reaction time. Decision-making abilities are slowed down. This can last 12 hours or longer after using cannabis.

Many teens think it is safe to drive within a few hours of using cannabis. Teens may be a passenger of a driver using cannabis. Help keep your teen safer:

  • Talk about the problem of cannabis impaired driving.
  • Offer to be a safe ride.
  • Be a good example by not driving after using cannabis.

For more information, visit the health unit’s website at www.simcoemuskokahealth.org or call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520.

Positive Mental Health

What can we do to become more resilient? It is common to experience fear and worry during uncertain times. For some people worries can become excessive and can have a negative effect on our health and immune system. Relying on substances to manage stress can fuel addictions. Reaching out, building healthy connections, close social relationships and helping others, creates resilience in the face of a crisis.

For More information

For more information, call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520 or email [email protected]. 
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