Need Help: Hoping to Teach Dangers of Drug Abuse at UK Schools / Colleges

[Kerrigan]

Hello, it's all in the title, really: I'm in the UK, and I remember what I was taught as being a majority of urban myths (apparently, just one 'bad' Ecstasy pill could kill me stone dead!) and the likes, which didn't paint much of a picture of drugs as anything but bizarre and curious, and I'd like to teach all about the problems that drugs can cause - addiction and dependency, withdrawal, loss of friends, family and lovers, forced into life of crime to continue else face the music and the pain, etc.

Can any of you who've successfully managed to break into such teaching work give me any advice on the matter? I imagine that schools and so-on would consult an independent party who'd arrange for someone, if not multiple people, to visit their institution at a particular day in the year and show various media, provide certain information in the form of pamphlets, photographs and so-on; if it's offered only by the Police or I'd have to prove myself to the police is unlikely to work very well...

However, I'm ultimately very curious about it all, and if I could help children learn more about the dangers of drugs, rather than to become either fascinated by them (my case) or filled up with urban-myths and ridiculous, scientific impossibilities (other cases), then I'd love to hear what you have to say.

Thanks. %)

 

[Jerry Atrick]

First I would like to say that I think you have a great idea. There is a lot of bogus info out there and a lot of it ends up coming from mainstream media sources. Have you ever seen the classic movie Reefer Madness?

I know you would like to do this as a job but you may have to start out doing these things as a volunteer. If you were going to a school, you would want to talk to the school counselor. He or she would then have to get approval from the principal. Since you are not getting paid, I don't know if they would require any professional credentials or certifications. Although you will be around kids so they may require a criminal background check.

Another option, and I don't know what they call these credentials in the UK, but you could get a Master's degree in counseling or social work and then do an internship and get licensed as an LCDC (Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor). I can imagine there could be scenarios where an LCDC working for a non-profit agency would have the opportunity to speak at a school gathering.

Of course, if you became an LCDC and got a job doing whatever LCDC's do, you could still volunteer your time at schools. Volunteering also looks good on a resume or CV.

 

[Pretty_Diamonds]

I would imagine this would be hard to do. It would be like the sex education or abstinence issue but with something illegal. There's too much politics with illegal substances. Schools would rather not promote "safe illegal drug use". The government and schools probably like the myths. Keeps everyone scared. Drugs are illegal therefore don't do them. End of story.

 

[captaincaveman]

Right pal,

A good friend of mine is a pysh nurse and wants to do the same thing. Unless you go down the private school route, checks are harsh. If you want to actually make money/ a living out of it then it's tough. Plus I remember at school when they brought someone in to talk about the dangers of drugs, we'd laugh. If you want to go down that route, get a pysch degree and then a year extra for drug counselling. Long road and not the best pay but I know a guy who does if it you want to know. I can't imagine standing in bunch of a load of teens and tellling them about drug dangers. They probably know it all anyway. Not pissing on your chips mate but telling teens about drug dangers sounds like the start of a hail of abuse.
Of course I could be wrong