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BOARD GAME MAKES DRUGS ADVICE CHILD'S PLAY |
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Monday, 27 March 2006 |
Children as young as nine are to get advice on drugs when a new board game is launched in West Lancashire's primary schools this week.
Children as young as nine are to get advice on drugs when a new board game is launched in West Lancashire's primary schools this week.
The game, called 'Joint Efforts - Primary Edition', has been designed to help educate nine to 11-year-old children - along with their parents, teachers and youth workers - how to handle situations involving all kinds of drugs.
It is an adapted version of a game that has already proved a big hit with secondary school pupils across Lancashire and will be used in lessons as well as well as at youth and community group meetings. It has been developed by Lancashire County Council using funding from the local drugs action team (DAT).
The strategic director of Lancashire DAT, Tom Woodcock, said:
"It is often said that drugs are dangerous game for young people to play. The aim of this game is to make sure that none of our young people are taking unnecessary risks with their health and even their lives. The format of a board game makes it easier to give this sort of advice to younger children in a way that they can understand and remember.
"The secondary school version of the game has earned some very good feedback from older pupils and is being picked up by other local authorities as a good tool for getting messages across about drugs to young people.
"Some people might think this is an early age to start educating young people about drugs but we can make no apology for being the first to get there with the facts - better that we reach out now than have to battle the myths and misconceptions that often circulate among teenagers."
The school children will play the game with teachers and youth workers. Players throw dice to move around a board representing their school and local community. Each square they land on will mean they encounter situations or questions that challenge their knowledge of substances including alcohol, tobacco and some illegal drugs. The winner is the first player to reach 'home' having answered most questions correctly.
Different questions are posed depending on who is playing the game. Teaching and youth work staff can also use the game to help identify potential gaps in their knowledge and to develop policies for dealing with drug-related incidents.
County Councillor Alan Whittaker, Cabinet member for Schools, said:
"Learning about drugs and their effects is the first step towards students being able to make informed choices when they encounter a situation involving drug use.
"The Joint Efforts board game is an excellent way of introducing young people to the topic and allows them to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need in later life.
"Lancashire County Council has a long standing commitment to supporting schools in developing drug education programmes which is a major component of drug prevention."
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