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Alcohol and Substance Misuse:
Decision-making, Assertiveness and Refusal Skills
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Grade 3
C2.3 apply decision-making strategies to make healthy choices about behaviours and the use of various substances in ways that could lead to dependencies, identifying factors that should be considered.
Grade 5
C2.3 demonstrate the ability to apply decision-making, assertiveness, and refusal skills to deal with pressures pertaining to alcohol use or other behaviours that could later lead to addiction.
C3.3 identify personal and social factors that can affect a person’s decision to drink alcohol at different points in his or her life.
Grade 6
C2.4 use decision-making strategies and skills and an understanding of factors influencing drug use to make safe personal choices about the use of drugs such as alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis.
Grade 9
C1.3 demonstrate an understanding of resilience and related protective and risk factors, and explain how these can affect choices related to substance use and addictions.
C3.4 describe social factors that may influence substance use or behaviours leading to addictions, and explain how decision-making and communication skills can be used to respond effectively to these influences.
Grade 10
C2.4 demonstrate the ability to apply adaptive, coping, and management skills to respond to challenging situations involving substance use, addictions, and related behaviours.
Grade 11
C2.2 apply their understanding of the connections between substance use, addictive behaviours, and physical and mental health to make safer choices about the use of medications, drugs, and other substances and involvement in potentially addictive activities.
Grade 12
C2.3 describe how coping and interpersonal skills and their knowledge of personal protective and risk factors can be used to develop resilience and enhance their ability to make healthy choices, including the avoidance of substance use and addictive behaviours.
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Decision-making, Assertiveness and Refusal Skills
Children and youth need more than just the facts about alcohol, drugs and their effects. In order to make smart choices both now and in the future, they need to be equipped with the skills and confidence to make their own decisions, go against the crowd, or refuse to do something that a friend wants them to do. The most effective strategies for preventing alcohol or drug related problems include providing factual information as well as developing skills so that children and youth can:
- Refuse alcohol/drug offers
- Understand the misperceptions that alcohol use is expected or that drug use is normal
- Enhance their social and personal skills
- Make their own decisions whether to use alcohol or drugs.
Discussing the various pressures that they face and having a safe place to practice communication and refusal skills can help a child/youth to be more confident and able to do the right thing when faced with a difficult situation. As a teacher, you can provide a welcoming, safe and non-judgmental environment for your students to learn these concepts and skills.
You may also find the following information helpful:
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- The Pressure is On! (www.pecentral.org)
- Demonstrates the effect of peer pressure and teaches refusal skills.
- Recommended grade level: 6-8.
- Lead Me Not into Temptation (www.pecentral.org)
- Helps students recognize and identify peer pressure, and develop skills to help resist negative peer pressure.
- Recommended grade level: 6-8.
- Cycles (www.uvic.ca)
- Film-based resource that encourages teens to talk openly and honestly about decision-making and marijuana use.
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Useful Websites with Lesson Material
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How healthy
and safe is your school?
Be a part of a Healthy School Committee to find out!
A Healthy School Committee:
- looks at the big picture - what your school is doing well to promote student and staff health and safety, and what are possible areas for improvement.
- can make meaningful change to the physical and social environments of your school
- includes parents, staff and students, with support from the Health Unit.
Contact your Health Unit's School Health Liaison for more information on how to start or get support for your Healthy School Committee:
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The Perth District Health Unit wants to make delivering quality health education a
positive experience for elementary and secondary school teachers. We strive to support teachers
by providing relevant, curriculum-related material.
We welcome your feedback! Please send any comments and suggestions to: schoolhealth@pdhu.on.ca
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