1. Session 5 How have others taken action? Preventing Amphetamine-Type-Stimulant (ATS) Use Among Young People A UNODC Training Workshop

2. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop Why prevention?  Good idea to avoid problems altogether, e.g. from experimenting to moving into more dependent patterns of use.  The earlier you start using substances the more problems you have later – even delaying the start of experimentation is a good result.

3. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop Remember the risk and protective factors  Individual Being a boy, being young, having poor personal & social skills, having mental health problems.  Environmental Poor care/ abuse in the family/ community (including health & socal services), substance use in the family/ community (including peers), lack of opportunities in education/ working/ free time, culture that encourages substance use, availability, lack of information).

4. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop Prevention activities  Should be aimed at strengthening protective factors and/ or weakening risk factors.  Cannot address only one factor if they are to be successful: As there is not only one factor that explains substance abuse, there cannot be only one kind of activity to assist in prevention.

5. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop Addressing lack of information  Provision of information/ awareness raising can only contribute to prevent substance abuse. Important area for ATS specific activities. The older the target group, the better to go through peers. Multi-media, including interactive, methods sustained over a period of time are more effective. Information should be scientifically based and accurate – do not exaggerate – and non- discriminatory. Materials should be with the active involvement of (or at least tested with) the target group.

6. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop Addressing individual risk factors  Not much you can do about people being young and being boys.  A lot needs to be done to provide appropriate care to young people with mental health problems and eliminate stigma.

7. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop Personal & social skills education (1)  Most evaluated kind of activity. Effective. Important area for including ATS specific components.  Use either teachers or peers, depending on age.  Interactive methods and sound training of educators essential.  Activities should be appropriate to the level of development.

8. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop Personal & social skills education (2)  Include approximately 1 session weekly for 2-3 months (8-10 sessions)  Include a mixture of information, personal & social skills, discussion of real prevalence rates and the influence of the advertising and entertainment industries.  Join forces with provision of skills against other risky behaviours (but not too many!)

9. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop Working with families  Provide shelter/ foster care.  Provide information (same rules as for young people).  Improve parenting skills (not that easy to involve parents/ guardians, but very worthwhile).  Provide counselling.  Facilitate self-help groups.

10. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop Addressing the lack of opportunities  Vocational training  Opportunities to engage free time in a way that is constructive, imaginative and challenging in sport, theatre, work, social work, fun – it is important that: Activities happen regularly, often and over a substantial period of time. Activities stress health promoting behaviours and values.  Provide training & resources to health and social services to become youth friendly.

11. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop Culture  It is very difficult to address a situation where young people identify with a culture that encourages the use of substances.  Providing (and marketing) opportunities to lead substance free lifestyles.  Restricting advertising of licit substances.  Using famous people that are role models for young people.

12. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop Addressing the availability of substances  It is not going to be the answer on its own & you need to be careful not to treat substance abusers as criminals.  In school and other public settings, have a clear policy developed in advance with the collaboration of everyone discouraging the use of both licit & illicit substances, possibly by both students and stuff, and aimed at supporting, not punishing.  Involve law enforcement officials to ensure their collaboration.

13. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop What do you do?  It will not be one thing only.  It will depend on the unique mixture of risk and protective factors in your community and in your target group (communities are not homogeneous).  There will probably be a lot going on in your community, build on it!

14. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop A comprehensive ATS use prevention plan  A comprehensive plan should give attention to both ‘universal’ and ‘selective’ targets:  Universal prevention targets the whole population without regard to their level of risk or their use of substances.  Selective prevention targets young people who, due to their circumstances, are viewed to be at heightened risk, regardless of whether they use substances currently or not.

15. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop ATS universal prevention  To support those who are not using ATS in continuing not to use them, and to persuade those that are using them experimentally or occasionally, to choose not to continue.  Activities from four possible approaches: Communication/Persuasion Methods. School-Based Skill Building Models. The Alternatives Approach. Policy-Based or Environmental Approaches.

16. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop ATS selective prevention  Does not target ATS or other substance use specifically, rather aims at root factors and addressing a range of potential social behaviour problems.  Four possible approaches: Early childhood and early school interventions. Family programming for higher risk families. School connection programs. Outreach approaches