Drug-Abuse Awareness Programmes for Young People
Substance misuse is a serious concern for many families across Northeast India, and young people often want to do something about it. Awareness programmes run by peers can be powerful, because young people tend to listen to someone close to their own age. They work best when they are honest, respectful and connected to real sources of help.
Principles to hold on to
- Respect, not shame. Addiction is a health issue. People who use drugs, and their families, are members of your community. Shaming pushes people away from help.
- Accurate, not exaggerated. Exaggerated horror stories are easy to disprove, and young people may then stop trusting everything else you say. Stick to what health professionals confirm.
- Skills, not only facts. Knowing that drugs are harmful is rarely enough. Practising how to handle pressure from friends is often more useful.
- Help, not punishment. Every session should end with clear information on where someone can get confidential support.
Planning a session: step by step
- Ask young people what they want. Hold an informal conversation with a few teenagers about what their friends actually face and what kind of session they would attend.
- Find a professional partner. Invite a doctor, counsellor, health worker or someone from a recognised treatment or counselling service to check your content and, ideally, attend.
- Choose a format. Small group discussions usually work better than long lectures. Combine with a football match, music, drama, poster competition or film screening.
- Prepare simple, accurate material. Cover how substances affect the body and mind, the effect on families and studies, and how dependence can develop.
- Plan a skills activity. Role-play scenarios where someone is offered a substance and practises ways to say no, change the subject or leave.
- Prepare referral information. Have details of local health services and counselling centres ready, checked for accuracy before the day.
- Brief your volunteers on confidentiality and what to do if someone shares something personal.
Running the session
Set the tone
Start by agreeing ground rules: listen to each other, no laughing at anyone, and what is said personally stays in the room unless someone is at risk. Make it clear no one has to share anything about themselves.
Keep it interactive
Ask open questions such as "Why do you think some people start?" or "What makes it hard to say no to a friend?" Let young people talk. Facilitators should guide, not preach.
Talk about wellbeing too
Stress, boredom, family difficulties and lack of opportunity can all be part of why people turn to substances. Talking about healthy ways to cope, such as sport, music, faith, friendships and asking for help, gives people something to move towards rather than only something to avoid.
When someone asks for help
Sometimes a participant, or their friend or sibling, will approach a volunteer privately. Volunteers are not counsellors, but they can respond well:
- Listen calmly without judgement or lectures.
- Thank them for trusting you.
- Do not promise total secrecy if someone's safety may be at risk; explain that gently.
- Share the referral information and offer to help them make contact.
- In an emergency, such as a suspected overdose, call for medical help immediately.
- Tell your group coordinator, sharing only what is necessary.
Families and the wider community
Parents often feel helpless or ashamed. A separate session for parents and guardians, with a professional present, can help them talk with their children and recognise when to seek support. Encourage the community to welcome back people in recovery; rejection is one of the things that makes recovery harder.
Looking after volunteers
This work can be emotionally heavy, especially for volunteers who have seen addiction in their own families. Check in with each other, share the load, and step back when needed.
General information only, not professional, medical or legal advice. See the terms of use.