Drug Policy Alliance Unveils High School Curriculum Grounded in Harm Reduction

The Drug Policy Alliance this month launched a drug education curriculum offering high schools a harm reduction-based alternative to abstinence-only prevention programs.

A news release from the organization states that while discouraging young people from using substances remains the primary goal of Safety First, the curriculum goes beyond that and “provides teens with essential information to keep themselves and their friends safe if and when they do encounter these substances.”

Sasha Simon, program manager for Safety First, said, “First and foremost, we want to keep our young people safe. The old paradigm that not teaching someone about something will keep them from doing it is inherently flawed. And lives are being lost because of it.”

The curriculum, designed for use in grades 9 and 10, consists of 15 lessons and focuses on critical thinking skills to evaluate information about substances and decision-making skills to assist students in making healthy choices. It also addresses the impact that drug policies have on personal and community health.

The curriculum has been piloted at Bard Early College High School in New York City and at five schools in San Francisco. “If anything, this curriculum has made my students less likely to use drugs because they know the honest truth about how they work,” said Drew Miller, a health teacher at Bard. “And should they or their friends encounter these substances, I feel better knowing I did everything I could to equip them with the basic understanding to keep them safe.”