Submitted by Hanna Heikkila on
On 15 November a School Health and Nutrition Webinar on substance use prevention in schools will discuss the role of education sector in contributing to the prevention of drug use and other risky behaviours, and introduce the types of school based approaches found effective for preventing later substance use.
The webinar is available also at https://youtu.be/p_q7DyH2E8k.
It will also mark the launch of a 'Good Policy and Practice in Health Education Booklet 10 - Education sector responses to the use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs', a joint publication developed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The publication provides the context and rationale for improved education sector responses to substance use and presents evidence-based and promising policies and practice, including practical examples from different regions, that have been shown to be effective by scientific research. It also suggests issues to consider in sustaining and scaling up effective approaches and programmes in education sector responses to substance use.
The webinar will highlight the important role schools can have in preventing substance use and ensuring children and youth grow healthy and safe in to adulthood. It is facilitated by UNODC programme officer Hanna Heikkila and UNESCO Project Officer Yongfeng Liu, in cooperation with WHO. To join the webinar, please go to http://www.schoolsandhealth.org/Pages/SHN-Webinar-Series.aspx#.
The webinar series on Low Resource Countries/School Health & Nutrition programs is being organized by members of the FRESH Partnership, including Save the Children, Partnership for Child Development, the UNESCO HIV Clearinghouse, the International School Health Network and others. The series is also being supported by the development of a corresponding series of Wikipedia style summaries, an extensive Bibliography/Toolbox and other online resources.