An Examination of Universal Drug Education Programming in Ontario, Canada’s Elementary School System

Bruno, Tara; Csiernik, Rick

doi:10.1007/s11469-018-9977-6

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…In Ontario specifically, school-based drug education programs have evolved over the past few decades, and now offer a more multi-faceted, interactive approach, with several programs using a combination of social competency, harm reduction, and decision-making components in addition to providing key information. Yet most of these programs are not evidence-based, but rather selected based on popularity and marketing, without any consistent and mandated evaluation criteria [ 32 ]. Furthermore, Ontario schools are not obligated to provide evidence-based drug education.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, Ontario schools are not obligated to provide evidence-based drug education. In primary schools across Ontario, the most widely adopted programs tend to be based on the drug abuse resistance education (DARE) model, which has been found to insignificantly impact substance use behaviours and prevalence of use among youth, particularly due to its stigmatizing philosophy of promoting resistance towards and abstinence from substance use, as opposed to promoting a harm-reduction lens and normalizing conversations around the use of substances [ 32 , 33 ]. While participants in our study suggested the need for an increase in school-based educational initiatives to assist in normalizing conversations and educating youth about the harms associated with use, they also suggested the utility of social media-based campaigns as a means to provide information to help shift the discourse and reduce the stigmatizing attitudes towards use.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Youth substance use service provider’s perspectives on use and service access in ontario: time to reframe the discourse

Ali

Russell

Nafeh

et al. 2022

Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy

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Background Age is a critical factor in substance use and related outcomes, with adolescence being a particularly sensitive period. Early initiation of substance use has been linked with higher risk for developing substance use disorders. In Ontario, Canada, substance use is common among youth, yet treatment is underutilized, suggesting the potential for an unmet need in terms of substance use care. Despite these challenges, there is limited research examining factors that contribute to youth substance use and youth-specific barriers to substance use care. To fill this knowledge gap, this study sought to include the unique perspectives of service providers who work directly with youth to examine these issues. Methods We used a cross-sectional mixed-methods design to examine factors that contribute to substance use among youth and identify youth-specific barriers to substance use among a sample of 54 Ontario-based youth service providers. Data collection included an online survey completed by all study participants followed by qualitative interviews of a subsample of 16 participants. Data analysis included basic frequency tabulations for survey results and thematic qualitative analyses to identify common themes. Results Licit substances were identified as the most commonly used among youth, where 94% of respondents identified cannabis use and 81% identified alcohol use. Thematic analyses identified the role of dominant substance use discourses in normalizing certain substances (i.e., cannabis and alcohol) while also endorsing stigmatizing beliefs and sentiments. According to youth service providers, the intersection of these two discourses simultaneously lead to an increase in substance use while deterring youth from seeking substance use care. Conclusions Normalization and stigmatization are two dominant discourses around youth substance use, with important implications for public health interventions. Key public health strategies, as identified by participants, to reduce the overall negative effect of these factors include the need to reframe substance use discourse, from a moral failing to a public health issue and to educate youth about the impacts of use. To accomplish this goal educational campaigns to raise awareness around the health effects of use and address stigmatization are needed. Educational reforms are also needed to ensure that these programs are integrated into the school system.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Youth substance use service provider’s perspectives on use and service access in ontario: time to reframe the discourse

Ali

Russell

Nafeh

et al. 2022

Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…It is important to provide equitable education for all young people by ensuring consistency of provision aligned with federal mandates at the meso-level. However, this can be difficult given the provincially regulated nature of public school systems in Canada ( Bruno and Csiernik, 2020 ; Joint Consortium for School Health, 2009 ; Watson et al, 2019 ). When education programmes take place in schools there is often wide variability in the philosophy that underpins the approach taken, triggering criticism of such programming ( Bruno and Csiernik, 2020 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, this can be difficult given the provincially regulated nature of public school systems in Canada ( Bruno and Csiernik, 2020 ; Joint Consortium for School Health, 2009 ; Watson et al, 2019 ). When education programmes take place in schools there is often wide variability in the philosophy that underpins the approach taken, triggering criticism of such programming ( Bruno and Csiernik, 2020 ). There is a need for substance use education that includes a focus on cannabis in ways that are inclusive, relevant and accessible.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Canadian cannabis education resources to support youth health literacy: A scoping review and environmental scan

Howe,

Bishop,

Torraville

et al. 2023

Health Education Journal

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Background: The 2018 legalisation of cannabis in Canada sparked concern and conversation about the potential negative impacts of youth cannabis use. It is clear that young people are already engaging in cannabis use for a variety of reasons; therefore, youth cannabis education is desirable to promote harm reduction and reduce the risk of adverse physical and mental health outcomes. Objective: To identify and categorise Canadian cannabis education resources using a social-ecological approach informed by the youth health literacy framework, considering multiple factors at the micro-, meso- and macro-levels that influence health literacy and impact behaviour. Methods: In line with scoping review methodology, database searches and an environmental scan of materials were completed. Specific inclusion criteria were identified to encompass all Canadian cannabis education resources directed towards young people aged 9–18 years and adults in contact with youth. Results: A total of 60 resources were identified and categorised using the youth health literacy framework in terms of their focus on (1) micro influences (resources for youth); (2) meso influences (resources for teachers, parents, mentors); and (3) macro influences (resources for indigenous communities and medical professionals). Conclusions: While many resources were identified, issues exist with the accessibility, quality and multicultural considerations of such resources, warranting the development of comprehensive, evidence-based and harm reduction–focused cannabis education for youth.

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“…Canada has been both a laggard and a leader in drug policy, among the first to prohibit (1923) and then legalize (2018) cannabis (Fischer et al , 2020). In 1978 the province of British Columbia (BC) introduced the Heroin Treatment Act allowing the involuntary detainment of individuals misusing opioids but then Canada became a leader in studying the therapeutic utility of heroin assisted treatment and the use of hallucinogens in treating post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) and treatment-resistant depression (Bruno and Csiernik, 2018). As communities across North America grapple with increasing rates of opioid overdoses and fatalities, the Canadian Government has attempted to take a coordinated approach to address this national crisis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Canadian government discourses on the overdose death crisis: limitations of a bio-evidenced approach

Ning

Csiernik²

2022

DHS

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Purpose Critical analyses of health policies and practices may appear to lack practicality during unprecedented times that demand immediate solutions. This paper aims to use critical social science theories to help improve essential service delivery during a public health crisis. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on qualitative content analysis of government and scholarly sources between 2008 and 2021 to identify strengths and gaps underlying the Canadian Federal Government’s evidence-based solutions to the opioid death crisis. Key questions examined are: What constitutes best-evidence practices underlying the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy?, Is biomedical evidence the only legitimate framework to substantiate feasible interventions? and Because the opioid death crisis affects disproportionately vulnerable populations, what is the potential merit of considering diverse knowledges and practices as valid forms of intervention despite lacking biomedical evidence bases? Findings While overdose reversing drugs, drug replacement approaches, biologically focused harm reduction options and pharmacological regulatory and surveillance initiatives help reduce premature opioid-related morbidity and mortality across provinces, this study’s findings demonstrate that these individualizing, biomedical magic bullets are temporary solutions, not comprehensive plans to solve a societal problem. This study’s theoretically informed analysis shows that the Canadian Federal Government responses detract attention from issues of social justice, social inequities and the biomedical dominance of health care as broader forces of the opioid death crisis. To address these analytical omissions, broader evidence-based solutions must build upon meaningful intraventions, the insiders’ perspectives or voices of the afflicted communities alongside meaningful interventions – going beyond distal, clinical-based and proximal, home-based interventions. Originality/value By highlighting the biomedical and social embeddings of the opioid death crisis, this study underscores structural conditions rather than individuals’ physical bodies as the catalysts for change. A deeper theoretical understanding of why certain issues exists, as they do and how they occur, can provide the basis for prediction of their (re)occurrence and for informing meaningful intervention efforts.

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An Examination of Universal Drug Education Programming in Ontario, Canada’s Elementary School System

Cited by 5 publications

References 28 publications

Youth substance use service provider’s perspectives on use and service access in ontario: time to reframe the discourse

Youth substance use service provider’s perspectives on use and service access in ontario: time to reframe the discourse

Canadian cannabis education resources to support youth health literacy: A scoping review and environmental scan

Canadian government discourses on the overdose death crisis: limitations of a bio-evidenced approach

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