Drug Policy Alliance Launches Harm Reduction-Based Drug Education Curriculum For High School Teachers

This week, the Drug Policy Alliance launched Safety First: Real Drug Education for Teens, the nation’s first harm reduction-based drug education curriculum for high school teachers.

As opposed to abstinence-only drug education programs like D.A.R.E, Safety First empowers teachers to have honest conversations about drugs with their students, equipping them with the skills to navigate their risks. The free curriculum consists of 15 lessons on the following topics:

• What is a drug?
• Introduction to harm reduction
• How drugs work
• Stimulants
• Cannabis
• Vaping and e-cigarettes
• Alcohol and other depressants
• Prescription and other opioids
• Psychedelics
• Mental health and coping
• Understanding zero tolerance
• Health and policy
• Looking back, looking forward
• A healthy future

“Safety First was created in response to a lack of accurate, science-based and compassionate drug resources in schools,” Sasha Simon, Safety First Program Manager for the Drug Policy Alliance, told Benzinga.

“With nearly 70,000 people dying of accidental overdose last year alone, it is essential that our young people develop the necessary skills to navigate their risks. Not only will it protect them while in school, but will serve as a foundation for them to foster healthy attitudes and habits around drugs that they will carry with them throughout their lives.”

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Image from DPA.