Marijuana

Educators: Marijuana

No one questions the severity of the drinking and drug problem in our communities and its devastating impact on youth. As an educator on the front lines, you know that academic performance suffers when students experiment with drugs and alcohol. You want to help your students stay away from these dangerous behaviors. We want to help you find practical tools to educate them about substance abuse, to empower them to rise above the negative influences, and to inspire them to soar as they prepare for adulthood.

Statement of the Youth Problem:
Drug abuse negatively impacts every aspect of a teen’s life and can severely impair academic performance. Today’s educator must have resources available to effectively intervene and stop the cycle of abuse.

For local data on youth use of marijuana, click here: 2010 KIP (Kentucky Incentives for Prevention) Survey Results – Fayette County

What we are doing
Data and programming: We work closely with schools on data collection and the development of effective prevention and intervention programs. The coalition administers the Kentucky Incentives for Prevention (KIP) Survey to 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students throughout Fayette County every other year to track behaviors and attitudes. The 2010 trend data can aid you in knowing what to address and where the Fayette Co. students have changed in self-reported attitudes and behaviors. 2010 School Trend Data

Guest speakers: The coalition makes available outside resources to assist teachers

Order a FREE Marijuana Facts Classroom Pack today by contacting Sharon Tankersley.

What you can do to help
Make use of the guest speakers and resources listed above.

Support coalition efforts to collect data, including through the Kentucky Incentives for Prevention (KIP) Survey which is administered to 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th graders every other year.

Help enforce school rules – including the no smoking policy. Students who smoke are more likely to go on to drink and use drugs. The no smoking policy is only as good as its enforcement and that takes the support of all teachers and administrators.

What you see, hear and do can make all the difference in a young person’s life. Resiliency research indicates that a protective factor for young people is having someone in their life that sees them, cares about them and has high expectations. As an educator, your role and position can often be the protective factor that swings a young person to the healthy, productive “better things to do than drugs” category. What you do makes a big difference in a young person’s life. www.resiliency.com/htm/research.htm

Connect with parents and help educate them. One of the biggest challenges is getting parent involvement. You are in a position to gain parent buy-in and engage them in this important issue.

Serve as a Campus Champion: Teachers, as well as parents and other volunteers are welcome to participate. The Campus Champion serves as a liaison between our coalition and a specific middle or high school to facilitate effective communication and advocate for interventions which will serve all youth. It’s a limited time commitment with huge dividends to our young people!

Contact us to see how you can become involved in our coalition activities.

Keep track of our local efforts through the coalition calendar on our homepage.

GRADE-LEVEL SPECIFIC RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS
Elementary School

Middle & High School

K-12

    • Science Education Grant and Contract Information
      Grant and contract programs funding the development and evaluation of programs and materials on neuroscience and the biology of drug abuse and addiction among K-12 students, and other groups.
    • NIDA Goes Back to School
      Free science-based educational materials developed by NIDA, online ordering available.
    • NIH Science Education Homepage
      Curricula developed by NIH for elementary, middle, and high school classes.
      • American Athletic Institute’s primary focus is the education of athletes on the dangers of drugs and alcohol. They provide scientific research, resources, information and training that offer insight into the world of athletes and drugs and alcohol. www.americanathleticinstitute.org

Treatment Links
Depending on how severe the marijuana use is, outpatient or private counseling may be effective in lieu of a residential treatment facility. Whichever type of treatment facility is used, the important point is to get help for teen marijuana use and abuse – before it leads to a chronic behavioral pattern that can have life-long negative impact.

http://www.samhsa.gov/treatment/ or 1-800-662-4357 for the National 24 hr. hotline Additionally, Bluegrass MHMR Board 24 hr. hotline is 1-800-928-8000. If in Fayette Co. please call 253-2737

Also, please refer to the additional treatment sources listed under the Substance Abuse Information button on the home page.

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