Hosted by the Centre for Addictions Research of BC
“Rethinking Drug Education”
When: Friday, May 14, 2010 from 3:30 to 4:30 PM
Where: University of Victoria, Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (Bob Wright Centre), Room A104
http://www.uvic.ca/buildings/sci.html
About the Lecture
Acknowledging the ineffectiveness of most drug education, this session explores issues about the goal, the methods, and the content of drug education. It is argued that an approach grounded in the social ecological model of public health and health promotion that acknowledges and attempts to address a broad array of macro, meso and micro factors influencing individual health decisions and behaviours may provide a more useful foundation for health literacy programs than traditional models. Applied to education about alcohol and other drugs, this would mean the goal is not about convincing young people “drugs are bad” but rather it is to help them understand the role drugs play in their society and how the social ecological environment influences their health decisions and behaviours. Effective education would thus involve providing young people with opportunities to develop the skills to function in their communities where drugs are a reality. This must be more than teaching them to “just say, no.” A new resource, called iMinds, being developed by the Centre for Addictions Research of BC, will be introduced to illustrate the proposed alternative approach.
About the Speaker
Dan is the Assistant Director (Knowledge Exchange) at the Centre for Addictions Research of BC, University of Victoria. His work focuses on communicating current evidence in a way that supports the evolution of effective policy and practice. This involves developing evidence-informed policy advice for government departments and regional authorities, as well as creating materials based on empirical evidence and responsive to real-world contexts. Dan's current work involves supporting schools and communities to access and use the best available evidence to implement comprehensive approaches to health and wellness related to psychoactive substance use. This work involves developing classroom materials and other educational resources as well as resources to support effective policy. Dan is a member of a consortium currently reviewing school-based mental health and substance use issues for the Mental Health Commission of Canada and earlier led a team that developed a series of knowledge kits for the Joint Consortium for School Health.
To reserve a seat and for more information, please contact: carbc@uvic.ca 250-472-5445
0 comments:
Post a Comment