NAVCHETNA - Drug Prevention and Life Skills Education

Drug Prevention and Life Skills Education A three-day workshop on Drug Prevention and Life Skills Education for Master Trainers was jointly organized by the Chakra Dialogues Foundation (CDF), Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses, and Vidya Global School. On the second day of the workshop, held on 27 September 2024 at Vidya Global School, Meerut, Master Trainers received specialized training focused on substance abuse prevention. The workshop centered on the Navchetna Module, which aims to educate students about life skills and substance abuse awareness. Substance abuse continues to be a major challenge across Asia, including India, where approximately 3.5% to 7% of the population aged 15–64 is affected by the use of cannabis and opiates. According to the Government of India’s 2019 National Survey, 14.6% of individuals aged 10–75 consume alcohol in India, while the percentage is higher in Uttar Pradesh. Cannabis consumption (charas or ganja) is prevalent among 1.2% of the national population, compared to 3.2% in Uttar Pradesh. Opioid usage in India stands at 0.7%, while the use of sedatives remains at 0.2% both nationally and within the state. During the workshop, participants were introduced to the key components of the Navchetna Module, including healthy living and nutrition, recognizing risks and staying safe, prevention of child sexual abuse, managing peer pressure, emotional well-being, identifying and addressing violence, and essential drug education for students and their families. International expert, trainer, and co-author of the Navchetna Module, Gary Reid, stated that after the completion of the training, 60 Master Trainers in Meerut would further train nearly 1,000 school teachers, who are expected to educate more than 100,000 students over the following three months. He further emphasized that this positive initiative by the District Administration would play a significant role in reducing substance abuse among youth and contribute towards building a healthier and drug-free future for the district.