Teaching children about the dangers of drugs can be started as early as the primary grades. At this level, we don't talk about specific drugs and the dangers, we begin with some basic social skills education and some self-esteem boosting exercises.
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Difficulty:
Easy
Instructions
1
Introduce the subject of drugs. Many children of primary age know about tobacco. You can begin there. Discuss the fact that tobacco is a drug and that drugs are harmful for our bodies. If children want to brainstorm a list of other drugs, you can touch on that. Some might talk about over-the-counter or pharmaceutical drugs as well. It's important that they know that any and all drugs have the potential to be dangerous.
2
Talk about peer pressure. Role play. Have some students role play as themselves, and you can role play as an older child, or an adult who is trying to get them to take drugs. Ask the students how they would respond. Let the children tell you what they would or wouldn't do before you suggest an alternative. Most kids this age have been exposed to the "Just Say No!" slogan that is part of drug education in schools. This might be a time to talk about that.
3
Introduce the concept of self-esteem or self-love. This is a good next step after the role playing exercise above. Ask students why they would choose to "just say no." Let them answer. Bring this conversation back around to the idea that just saying no is a form of self love, and that if they choose to love themselves, they will not feel pressured to take drugs, no matter who it is that is offering them.
4
Bring in a police officer. Many D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) officers go into schools and assist with drug education at all levels. Talk about laws. You may talk about how drugs---as well as giving them out or trying to get others to take them---is against the law. Discuss the penalties of such actions. Let them know who to call if they do encounter someone trying to give them drugs.
5
Keep it developmentally appropriate. Be sure to always be mindful of the ages of the children. Drug education, like any other type of learning is a developmental process. Keep it positive and non-threatening.
Tips & Warnings
If any child tells you about a personal experience with drugs or someone who has offered them drugs, be sure to have this documented by the school social worker or psychologist. If you are not in a school setting or do not have such a resource, be sure to relay the information to the child's parent.
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