Do primary school drug prevention programmes really get to the heart of the drug problem?
A key issue in reducing drug use in Belize is convincing young people that they dont need to take drugs. The sad fact is that drug use is on the increase across the region. The average age of first use of drugs is getting younger, now as young as 10 years old. The primary school drug prevention programme focuses on teaching students effective life skills such as decision-making, providing them with accurate, up-to-date drug information. Children are then equipped with the skills needed to make difficult decisions, such as saying no to drugs and not submitting to peer pressure. Primary school drug prevention programmes have a proven success rate in the US and the UK in reducing drug use in later life. Belize is still in the pilot stage, but already we have had positive feedback from the pilot schools, Sacred Heart Primary School in Cayo and St Martin de Porres Primary School in Belize City. We believe the programme is a proven success. 6. What is NDACC doing in primary schools? NDACC wo
