Tobacco and Substance Use

• Help youth build Developmental Assets® – the positive experiences and qualities that can promote positive development and prevent high-risk behaviours.  

• Students who feel connected to their schools are less likely to engage in drug use. Establish school connectedness by increasing student participation, improving relationships and creating a positive school culture. 

• Provide substance use content within classroom curriculum in a way that is highly interactive, skill-focused and age-appropriate. Education should start young with broad content and continue over many years with more specific information about substances. You can find classroom resources below. 

• Enhance students’ cognitive, social and emotional skills to improve their decision-making ability. Provide students will the tools to manage stress and pressure to help enhance their refusal skills later in life. You can find resources at School Mental Health Ontario. 

• Many teens overestimate rates of smoking, drinking and drug use among their peers. Correct misconceptions by providing accurate information, highlighting the number of students who do not use substances. Make sure content is relevant to students’ current experiences and substance use patterns, and emphasize short-term, social consequences of drug use that are important to youth.  

• Students want to know more about why people start using drugs. Provide them with this information in an unbiased, non-judgemental way. Messages that try to arouse fear or emphasize the evils of drug use do not work.  

• Active parental involvement in children’s education is a critical piece in preventing substance misuse in youth. Support family interventions that work alongside school programs. Find resources for parents and information about the Triple P Positive Parenting Program and sessions in your area. 

• The community plays a large role in youth substance misuse prevention. Support the development of local partnerships to support the programs in school and to engage families in community-based activities. 

Learn more: Effective and Comprehensive Approaches to Substance Misuse Prevention among Youth

Understanding Substance Use: Educator’s Guide

This guide and the accompanying five video modules from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction are designed for education professionals (teachers, guidance counsellors, coaches, social workers and so on) working with youth from grades 6–12. They provide knowledge, tools and resources on substance use, stigma, cannabis vaping, alcohol and impaired driving. This guide has not been designed to use in the classroom with students or to replace curriculum on these topics. Please see the section below for activities and resources to use in the classroom.

Comprendre l’usage de substances : un guide pour les éducateurs

Ce guide et les cinq vidéos qui l’accompagnent, provenant du Centre canadien sur les dépendances et l’usage de substances, s’adressent aux professionnels de l’éducation (enseignants, conseillers en orientation, entraîneurs, travailleurs sociaux, etc.) qui travaillent avec des jeunes de la 6e à la 12e année. Ces ressources peuvent fournir, aux professionnels de l’éducation, les outils et les renseignements nécessaires sur l’usage de substances, la stigmatisation, le vapotage de cannabis, l’alcool et la conduite avec facultés affaiblies. Ce guide n’a pas été conçu pour être utilisé lors d’activités en classe avec les élèves ou pour remplacer la matière du curriculum à ce sujet. SVP voir la section ci-dessous, intitulée « Classroom Resources », pour des activités et des ressources à utiliser dans la salle de classe.

Classroom Resources