Awareness: Substance Abuse & Addictive Behaviors

Must-dos at your school site:

Make readings/videos available to students and staff.

Parent Letter and/or Newsletter to be posted/distributed to parents.

Post/distribute hand-outs.

Recommended reading:

PreK - 3rd grade:

Charlie and the Curious Club: Candy or Medicine? By Erainna Winnett (PreK-2nd) (Safety with Substances)
Gracie's Secret by Lorelie Rozzano (PreK-3rd) (Conflict/Turmoil at home)
Medicine is NOT candy (PreK - 6th grade)
Poison Alert!: My Tips to Avoid Danger Zones at Home by Gina Bellisario (K-2nd) (Safety at Home)
When Someone in the Family Drinks Too Much by Richard Langsen (K-3rd) (Alcoholism and the emotions that a child may feel)
Wishes and Worries: Coping with a Parent Who Drinks Too Much Alcohol by Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (K-3rd) (Alcoholism)
Bottles Break by Nancy Maria Grande Tabor (K-3rd) (Alcoholism)
No! ...and I Mean No, Let's Say No to Drugs! By Kandara C. Albury (K-3rd) (Assertiveness)
Critters Cry Too: Explaining Addiction to Children by Anthony Curcio (K-5th) (Addiction and Feelings)
But It's Just A Game by Julia Cook (2nd-6th)

3rd - 6th grade:

Critters Cry Too: Explaining Addiction to Children by Anthony Curcio (K-5th) (Addiction and Feelings)
Medicine is NOT candy (PreK - 6th grade)
But It's Just A Game by Julia Cook (2nd-6th)
An Elephant in the Living Room: The Children's Book by Jill M. Hastings and Marion H. Typpo (4th-6th)(Addiction)
No Thanks!: Saying No to Alcohol and Drugs by Erianna Winnett (4th-6th) (Assertiveness)

Middle/High School:

Disclosure: Some middle/high school readings contain language and/or sensitive topics that need previewing by school before given to youth.

Hyperstimulation: Teens, Porn, and Online Addictions by Craig Georgianna, Tom Underhill, Chad Kelland
Addiction (Social Issues Firsthand) by Wyatt S. Schaefer (7th-12th)
The 6 Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make: A Guide for Teens by Sean Covey (8th-12th) (coping with and managing life’s challenges)
Afterparty by Ann Redisch Stampler (9th-12th)
Chasing the High: A Firsthand Account of One Young Person's Experience with Substance Abuse by Kyle Keegan (9th-12th)

Staff/Parents

Videos:

What is Medicine? (PreK - 6th grade)

Don't put that in Your Mouth (PreK-1st)

Stop and Ask (PreK-1st)

No Smoking (PreK-3rd) (Silly but kids will like)

Too much (PreK-3rd)

What I Am Song (2nd-4th)

The Drug Avengers (All Segments 4th-6th)

How Do Drugs Affect the Brain (video for 5th - 8th)

Caught in the Web: Addiction to Gaming (Middle and High School)

Teen Anti-Smoking PSA (Middle and High School)

The History of Pornography (Upper Middle and High School)

Your Brain on Opioids (Middle and High School)

How Addiction Changes Your Brain (High School)

Hand-outs:

99 Coping Skills (All students)

Porn is Addictive (Middle and High School)

Am I an Addict? (Middle and High School)

Risk and Protective Factors (Staff)

Resources:

Know the Risks about E-Cigarettes/Vaping

Fact Sheet on E-Cigarettes/Vaping

Talk, They Hear

Activities/Lesson Plan:

Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and alcohol don't mix website

Candy vs. Medicine Activity: (1st - 2nd)

Take common household medicines (tylenol, vitamins, etc.) and candies and put them in numbered ziplock bags and have kids guess whether it was candy or medicine. Do not hand out or pass around bags. Discuss as doing activity the importance of knowing the difference.

What your brain is like on drugs activity: Use jolly ranchers and divide class into 2 teams. They each have to race to open jolly ranchers. Then give each team gloves. They repeat the race and put gloves on before they try to open them. Time each race and they can see the difference. Then talk about why it was harder and how drugs can impair the brain in permanent ways like the gloves impaired their ability to open the candy.

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