PDF (Lessons learned in drug abuse prevention: a global review)

LOCAL
Education Programme for the Promotion of Health:
Health Education to Prevent Drug Abuse
REGION:
Western Europe
COUNTRY: Greece
Organisation: University
Mental Health Research
Institute (UMHRI)
TARGET GROUPS:
● Youth (12 - 15 years)
SETTINGS:
● Secondary School
IMPLEMENTING AGENTS:
● Teachers
PROJECT PURPOSE:
A pilot project teaching health
education, life and psychosocial
skills in two secondary schools
over a period of three years
COST: US $6,500 per year
DURATION: 3 years
Students and teacher infront of a health education exhibition at school.
Background:
Epidemiological surveys carried out by the University of Athens 1 and subsequently by
the University of Mental Health Research Institute (UMHRI) 2 showed that the prevalence
of illicit drug use in the general population has tripled in the years between 1984
and 1998, from 4% to 12.2%. In 1998, higher percentages of lifetime prevalence
were observed in young adults aged 18-35 (22%), and cannabis remained the most
popular illicit drug (12.1%). Another nation-wide study carried out by UMHRI in 1999
among high school students aged 16 showed that 9.7% of the students reported having
experimented with or used drugs, with cannabis being the most popular choice,
followed by ecstasy. 3 The mean starting age for illicit drug use was 15 years. 4
Under its national drug abuse prevention policy, Greece has established Prevention
Centres, staffed by professionals, to carry out preventive programmes in the community
and in schools all over the country. The results of pilot projects such as this one feed
back into the training of prevention professionals and the development of educational
materials to be used in schools and in the wider community.
A health needs assessment of the target population was carried out in order to ensure
an appropriate adaptation of the contents of the prevention materials to the real needs
of the population. The assessment showed that in the pilot project area, students’
psychological needs - such as the need for strengthening self-confidence and selfesteem,
and for reducing anxiety and promoting personal relationships – were found
to be more prominent than their physical needs.
50
Sources: 1 Kokkevi, A., Malliori, M., Terzidou, M., Mostriou, A., Stefanis, C. 1997. Gender differences in substance
use in high school students and the general population: trends between 1984 and 1993. Pompidou Group
Symposium: ‘Women and drugs: Focus on prevention’, Proceedings 6-7 October 1995, p. 29-37 (Bonn, Council of
Europe).
2 Kokkevi, A., Loukadakis M., Plagiannakou, S., Politikou, K., Stefanis, C. 2000. Sharp increase in illicit drug use in
Greece†: trends from a general population survey on licit and illicit drug use. European Addiction Research, Vol.
6, no.1 p.42-49.
3 Kokkevi, A., Terzidou, M., Politikou, K., Stefanis, C. 2000. Substance use among high school students in Greece:
outburst of illicit drug use in a society under change. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, vol. 58p. 182-188.
4
Hibell, B., Anderson, B., Ahlstrom, S., Balakireva, O., Bjarnason, T., Kokkevi, A., Morgan, M. 2000. The 1999
ESPAD report: alcohol and other drug use among students in 30 European Countries. Stockholm, CAN.