With face-to-face classes in schools across Barbados set to resume from Monday, February 21, the National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA) will continue to deliver drug education to secondary schools using the blended approach.
The agency’s Drugs and Life Skills Awareness programme will be facilitated online through educational platforms, such as the Google Classroom and Nearpod.
This forms part of the Health and Family Life Education Programme at the Alexandra, Princess Margaret Secondary, Lester Vaughan, Springer Memorial and The Ellerslie Schools.
The Drugs and Life Skills Awareness programme targets 13 to 15-year-old students, providing them with information on the physiological, psychological, and psychosocial consequences of using alcohol and other drugs, especially during the adolescent phase of their development.
The programme also seeks to provide students with the life skills that they need to help them to understand themselves and their environment and to develop the confidence to make informed decisions.
Topics to be covered include: Commonly Used Drugs in Barbados – Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana and Inhalants; Harmful Effects of Legal and Illegal Substances and Life Skills. The programme will also feature a parenting component, which is open to parents and the general public.
Schools interested in being a part of the interactive journey should contact the NCSA via email at ncsa.pr@barbados.gov.bb or ncsa.info@barbados.gov.bb. Alternatively, persons may call 535-6272.
NCSA officials are urging the public “not to let drugs get in the way of your dreams”.