Pubdate: Fri, 20 Feb 2015
Source: Metro (Halifax, CN NS)
Copyright: 2015 Metro Canada
Contact:  http://www.metronews.ca/Halifax
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4727
Author: Stephanie Taylor
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?135 (Drug Education)

READIN', WRITIN' AND RESPONSIBILITY

Education: New Drug and Alcohol Curriculum Aims to Help Students Make 
the Right Choices

The province is hoping more students in Nova Scotia will learn to 
make responsible choices when it comes drugs and alcohol with the 
launch of a new drug education curriculum.

Health minister Leo Glavine, joined by students and staff from Oxford 
School in Halifax, announced the new curriculum in the school's teen 
centre on Thursday.

The curriculum was created in conjunction with the departments of 
Education and Early Childhood Development and Health and Wellness.

Many classrooms of junior high students from across the province will 
now have access to seven different lesson plans that will encourage 
them to discuss the different influences and pressures around 
drinking alcohol and abusing street as well as prescription drugs, 
Glavine said.

"We are seeing far too many tragic deaths that were a direct result 
of prescription drugs and other substances," he said Thursday.

He explained plans to design a new curriculum came in the wake of the 
results from a 2012 provincial drug survey that revealed more than 
half of the province's teens drank alcohol, one third smoked 
marijuana and 12 per cent had misused prescription drugs.

On Thursday, Glavine said these new lessons are designed to be 
"relevant and engaging for students," in order to create a safe and 
non-judgmental environment to talk openly and honestly about substance abuse.

Neve McCormack is in Grade 8 at Oxford School and piloted the new 
curriculum last year.

"Everybody was sitting there and we were all included and it was nice 
to be able to see what other people thought instead of just listening 
to what the teacher thought. Everybody got to have a say in things," 
she said Thursday.

So far, Glavine said more than 300 teachers and counsellors have 
attended training sessions.

Dan O'Leary works as a guidance counselor at a junior high in Lower 
Sackville and explained with the new curriculum teachers are required 
to be more facilitators of discussion rather than instructors.

The reason, he said, is to enable staff to better listen and build 
greater trust with students.

"Great things happens when you create a safe space and that's just 
what these lessons do," he said Thursday.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom