Ohio has recently implemented programs in some schools to educate students on drug use and mistreatment of drugs. These programs starts in kindergarten and go all the way until high-school. This program was implemented due to the rising number of deaths from opioid overdoses in 2016 and the rising epidemic in the state. With only 20 minute lessons a day teachers have positive feedback for the program and say the lessons are developmentally appropriate, easy to implement and do not feel like “one more thing” .
"Ohio’s plan, controversial in a state that prizes local control over schools, features lessons that begin in kindergarten. Instead of relying on scare tactics about drug use or campaigns that recite facts about drugs’ toll on the body, teachers are encouraged to discuss real-life situations and ways to deal with them and to build the social and emotional skills that experts say can reduce the risk of substance abuse."
With that and what we discussed in class last Tuesday, do you all think this was a good decision? Did they implement the program well? Do you think their starting to early, by talking with kids about drugs in Kindergarten? What may be some benefits to them having these conversations with kids early, especially those with parents who use drugs?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/opioid-deaths-prompt-ohio-to-reimagine-classroom-lessons-starting-with-kindergarten/2018/04/20/30db0570-05df-11e8-94e8-e8b8600ade23_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.1097484d84d3
I think it is good that they are doing so in short chunks throughout the day. I do think there needs to be more emphasis on drugs in the homes as many people will take more from a family member rather than a class.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of the above comments! Kids should also be able to recognize addiction within their own households as many kids in Ohio are probably very closely affected by the epidemic
ReplyDeleteI think history class could be a way to teach school kids. Rather than setting a systematic class that spend extra costs and efforts, learning opiates in the history (eg. opium war) and offering relevant knowledge regarding opiates would be an indirect but more acceptable method to get know about opiates.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting thought about putting the opium war into the curriculum of history classes. A very over looked topic. I wonder how that would be implemented into those classes.
DeleteDue to the extreme amounts of ODs in Ohio it seems like the perfect place to begin talking about educating children in schools.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what everyone has said so far. With Ohio being one of the highest OD states, it is crucial that kids are aware of the issue at a young age .
ReplyDeleteI like the idea behind the early education of drugs. Hopefully this program will prove successful down the line and other states will follow suit in helping to ease the epidemic.
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