As a counselor for both in-class and online drug classes I am very interested in the approaches other countries use to help with drug education and drug education. I was recently reviewing information on how Kenya attempts to keep kids off of drugs.
In Kenya, teachers play an important role both as instructors and role models to help keep youth from using drugs. As reported in allafrica.com.
The reason teachers have been drawn into the fight is, of course, because there has been a dramatic increase in drug use among Kenyan youth.
While Kenya sponsors “patriot clubs” to try and educate teachers and others on the dangers of substance abuse, I would like to see more drug education classes. Patriotism for your country can only go so far to keeping rowdy youth from experimenting with drugs and alcohol.
As a counselor for a drug class, I recall one of my students describing his experience with “drug education” in Kenya. His assertion was that the Kenyan government did not really care about stamping out drug use. They play the “patriot game” and compare using drugs to being unpatriotic.
My student, nor any of his Kenyan friends ever took the message seriously. He agrees that serious drug education classes are necessary because the majority of Kenyans have little idea why drug use is dangerous.