|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Monday, 29 March 2004 |
 |
|
 |
News | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
Drug abuse affects most of the populations in the world in one form or another. Youth populations are most vulnerable to the effects of drugs due to various reasons. The statistics show that youth drug abusers are escalating adding to the large numbers of delinquency and related social problems. In line with the Colombo Plan's objectives in addressing the needs of its member countries, the Drug Advisory Programme (DAP) being in the forefront in combating the drug problem, has been implementing initiatives relating to youth such as Asian Youth Congresses and the training of youth leaders. These programmes aim to mobilise youth to take up vital leadership roles in the prevention of drug abuse. Subsequent to the life skills training workshop held in Thailand in January 2004, the DAP not only trained youth leaders in the Asia Pacific region but also brought in drug prevention experts and youth leaders from Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Maldives, Thailand and Sri Lanka to write a training manual. This manual promotes life skills which are considered to be the most effective strategy in drug abuse prevention. All participants gathered at the Colombo Hilton from March 15 to 19, 2004. It was organised by the DAP and funded by the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), US Department of State. The purpose of this manual is to provide prevention practitioners and youth leaders with an informative and practical guide to develop and implement effective life skills programmes. The modules incorporated are aimed to assist the youth to acquire knowledge as well as to develop attitudes and skills to enable them to cope with their problems and to resist the lure of drugs. Life skills do not only relate to drug prevention but can be applied to all areas in life so that our youth are empowered to make healthy decisions and face tomorrow's challenges bravely. This training manual focuses on life skills for building self-esteem, building positive relationships, effective communication, decision-making, assertion and coping skills; such as stress management, anger management and conflict resolution. The manual also includes a section on drug counselling and referral options. The modules were written based on experiential learning approaches such as stimulations, role-plays, small group activities, and brain storming which enhances individual participation significantly. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
