Drug education

Abstract

This study examines what adolescents need to know to avoid or delay illegal drug use during the teen years while the brain is still developing. Illicit drug use during this time has been shown to have negative neurological and behavioral effects on individuals and serious consequences for communities. Action Research mythology, a democratic process involving cycles of research, provided the foundation for this study. Drug education curriculum was developed for middle school students that incorporated findings from the research conducted and current global data on best practices in drug education. Findings from this study show students are ignorant about the harms of illicit drug use during adolescence, that access to illegal drugs has become more common with the advent of drugs being sold over social media platforms, and drug education curriculum is effective when it is grounded in theory, incorporates specific teaching practices, and includes Social Emotional Learning. The outcome of this study benefits school systems and communities in that it may improve rates of addiction, school delinquency, violence, and poor academic performance that are associated with adolescent drug use. It is recommended that the curriculum developed in this study be employed by school districts concerned about adolescent illicit drug use and the impacts it has on individual development and community safety.--Author's abstract