Substance Abuse Prevention Curriculum

Substance abuse continues to be a major problem adversely affecting the educational and social-emotional development of many Illinois students.  The topic of substance abuse—and evidence based prevention strategies to build student resistance to this problem—can be readily integrated into grade 6-12 classes across subject areas. 

The Extent of the Problem
Results of the 2018 Illinois Youth Survey of substance abuse use of 8th, 10th and 12th graders indicates the extent of the problem (iys.cprd.illinois.edu).

  • 20 percent of Illinois 12th graders reported binge drinking (5 or more drinks on one occasion) at least once in the past two weeks; 12 percent reported binge drinking more than once in the past two weeks.   Binge drinking is associated with lower grades and increased violent behavior; the majority of sexual assaults are in the context of binge drinking.
  • 27 percent of Illinois 12th graders reported use of e-cigarettes in the past 30 days; 10 percent reported using e-cigarettes at least once a day.  The nicotine in e-cigarettes is highly addictive and is associated with a number of serious health risks including increases in attention deficit disorder and poor impulse control (E-cigarettes:  Good News Bad News, Harvard Health Blog).
  • 6 percent of 12th graders indicate they used marijuana on 20 or more occasions in the past 30 days.  Such regular use of marijuana is associated with decline in attention and reduced educational achievement.                                                       
  • 7 percent of Illinois 12th graders indicated that they used prescription drugs not prescribed to them in the past year.  Use of unprescibed prescription drugs is a major step in the opiate epidemic in the U. S.

A very serious concern is the large number of Illinois youth who experienced adverse consequences from substance use.  In the past year:

  • 24 percent of 12th graders indicated that they used alcohol or other drugs to relax, feel better about themselves or fit in
  • 26 percent of 12th graders reported riding in a car driven by someone who was “high” or had been using alcohol or drugs
  • 19 percent used alcohol or drugs by themselves, alone, and,
  • 19 percent had forgotten things they’d done while on alcohol or other drugs

A full 27 percent of Illinois 12th graders experienced two or more adverse consequences of substance use, indicating the potential need for substance abuse assessment according to the CRAFFT Screening Tool (The CRAFFT Screening Tool.  The Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research, Children’s Hospital, Boston, 2009).

Substances are often heavily used to escape depression.  The 2018 Illinois Youth Survey reports an alarming rate of depression among Illinois youth.  In the past year 32 percent of 8th graders, 35 percent of 10th graders and 34 percent of 12th graders reported “feeling so sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more in a row that you stopped doing some usual activities.”   16 percent of 10th graders and 15 percent of 12th graders reported that in the past year they had considered suicide.

Evidence-Based Prevention Strategies

Evidence based prevention strategies to strengthen student resistance to drug problems can be readily incorporated into the study of substance abuse in classes across subject areas.   Five evidence based prevention strategies are especially applicable to grade 6-12 classes. (see CIRLI PREVENTION STRATEGIES ).   

  • Engaging students in community prevention:  Students can be engaged in prevention efforts in the larger community.  They can write to legislators and congressional representatives about what they have learned about the problem of substance abuse and advocate additional funding for drug treatment and prevention.  Students can be engaged in prevention education in the school community, for example, by speaking to classes of younger students, sharing what they have learned about the problem of substance abuse.  They can engage in school-wide prevention campaigns, preparing materials that would be most effective in reaching their peers.  Students who engage in such prevention efforts acquire skills in communication and advocacy.   They are likely to internalize the prevention messages they are delivering about the harm caused by substance abuse and be less likely to abuse drugs.
 
  • Building pro-social norms:   Based on their in-class study students can write about and discuss the harm substance abuse causes individuals,  families and communities.  As indicated, they can share what they have learned in talks to younger students and in school-wide prevention activities.  Development of concern for the damage substance abuse does to individuals, families and communities is an important prevention strategy.   Students who care about the harm drugs can do to themselves and others are less likely to abuse substances and more likely to act on behalf of others to prevent drug abuse.
 
  • Correcting misperceptions (exaggerations) of the extent of drug use:   Student can estimate the extent of drug use by their classmates and then conduct an anonymous survey to determine the actual level of substance use by peers.  Students usually exaggerate the extent of drug use by peers and are inclined to increase their own use of substances to fit the misperceived norm.   Responses to the 2018 Illinois Youth Survey demonstrate the exaggeration of use of substances by peers.  Asked what percent of students at your school have had beer, wine or hard liquor in the past 30 days, 69 percent of 12th graders overestimated the use of these substances by other students.  77 percent exaggerated the use of marijuana by other students; 75 percent overestimated the use of cigarettes.  Research shows that correcting the exaggeration of substance use by peers can significantly reduce the extent of drug use in a student population.  Students no longer feel pressure to conform to a misperceived norm.
 
  • Increasing Perceptions of the Personal Risk of Substance Use:  Based on their study students can write about and discuss the risks of substance abuse.  Critical to this strategy is that the student understands the risk to her/himself.   Student athletes can learn how substance use interferes with their athletic performance.   High achieving students can learn how substance use lowers grades.  Women can learn the increased risk of sexual assault in the context of heavy drinking.  The dramatic decline in cigarette smoking in the U. S. demonstrates the potential power of this strategy.  As understanding of the personal risk of cigarette smoking increased use of cigarettes declined significantly. 
 
  • Strengthening Life Skills:   In classes students can work on strengthening their decision making skills, role playing ways to avoid settings where there is heavy drug use and ways to decline use of drugs.  Students who have problems taking their own positions and feeling that need to go along with the group are more vulnerable to substance problems than more individuated students.     Developing decision making skills and encouraging healthy individuation increases resistance to drug problems.


Integrating Substance Abuse Issues and Prevention Strategies into Grade 6-12 Classes

Substance abuse issues and these five evidence based prevention strategies can be readily incorporated into Grade 6-12 classes across subject areas.

In Language Arts classes students can read literature focused on substance abuse issues and write in response to their reading as well as about their own observations of substance use and abuse.   Class assignments and discussion can address the damage substances cause individuals, families and communities and the inequities of drug policies (minorities are far more likely to be tried and incarcerated for drug use than white students).  Assignments and discussion can also address the personal risk of substance.  Language arts classes may include role-playing exercises, strengthening the students’ capacity to avoid situations where drugs are heavily used and their capacity to decline use of drugs. 

In Math classes students can work with data about the extent and consequences of drug use.  The data can naturally lead to discussion of the personal risks of substance abuse and the harm done to individuals, families and communities.  Math students can also work with data demonstrating exaggeration of the extent of drug use by peers; they may begin with a survey of their own class comparing the perception of substance use by classmates to actual use.

In Social studies classes students can read, write, discuss and develop presentations on the negative impact of substance abuse on families, communities and the larger society.  They can study the affects of evolving drug policy on individuals, families and communities including the inequities in enforcement of drug policy and the problem of “mass incarceration” of racial minorities.

In Science courses students can read, write about and discuss the damaging effects of drugs on the human body.   Class assignments and activities can increase perception of the personal risks of substance abuse and the harm to families and communities and the need for effective prevention.  

In classes across the curriculum, students can prepare presentations to share what they have learned with younger students and apply what they have learned about substance abuse as they participate in school and community prevention activities.
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