In Boston, Preventing Substance Abuse Starts in Middle School
On Tuesday, Mayor Marty Walsh announced a pilot drug prevention program for seventh graders across Boston Public Schools. Too Good for Drugs will provide 10 one-hour sessions with trained prevention professionals.
“The curriculum will include good decision-making, resisting peer pressure, and cultivating healthy communication and relationships with others,’’ Walsh said in a press release. “It emphasizes the pertinent information Boston youth will need to understand the negative consequences of alcohol and drug use.’’
According to a 2013 Massachusetts Youth Health Survey (YHS) by the state Department of Public Health, 11.6 percent of Massachusetts middle school-aged youth surveyed had used drugs in their lifetime. As many as18.6 percent of 3,623 total middle school-aged youth surveyed, including 15.8 percentof 1,270 seventh graders and 30.1percentof 1,151 eight graders, reported having had at least one drink on one or more days in their life, according to the same report.
The Gavin Foundation, a substance abuse treatment, education, and prevention agency, will implement the program. John McGahan, President of the Gavin Foundation, stressed in an interview with Boston.com that the earlier students are given educational information, the better.
“We want to give them the tools they need now, so that they won’t make a bad choice,’’ he said.
University of Massachusetts Boston will evaluate the program’s implementation process.
“Sadly, now more than ever school-based drug-prevention programs are a necessity,’’ Chancellor J. Keith Motley in a press release said. “Statistics show that 9 out of 10 people with addiction started using substances before they turned 18. We hope that by focusing on adolescents, before they are exposed to drugs and alcohol, we can diminish the risk of addiction, and increase the likelihood of success in school and in college.’’
The pilot program was introduced at McCormack Middle School in Dorchester for the first time on Tuesday.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com